Deschutes River

The Deschutes River (/dəˈʃuːts/ də-SHOOTS) in central Oregon is a major tributary of the Columbia River. The river provides much of the drainage on the eastern side of the Cascade Range in Oregon, gathering many of the tributaries that descend from the drier, eastern flank of the mountains. The Deschutes provided an important route to and from the Columbia for Native Americans for thousands of years, and then in the 19th century for pioneers on the Oregon Trail. The river flows mostly through rugged and arid country, and its valley provides a cultural heart for central Oregon. Today the river supplies water for irrigation and is popular in the summer for whitewater rafting and fishing.

For the river in Washington, see Deschutes River (Washington). For other uses, see Deschutes River (disambiguation).
Deschutes River
The Deschutes River near its mouth on the Columbia. Pioneers camped on the bluff to the left.
Map of the Deschutes watershed
Location of the mouth of the Deschutes River in Oregon
Deschutes River (the United States)
EtymologyFrom Rivière des Chutes, used by early-19th-century fur traders
Location
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountyDeschutes, Jefferson,
Sherman, and Wasco
Physical characteristics
SourceLittle Lava Lake
 • locationCascade Range, Deschutes County, Oregon
 • coordinates43°54′33″N 121°45′40″W
 • elevation4,747 ft (1,447 m)
MouthColumbia River
 • location
between Fairbanks and Biggs Junction, on border between Wasco
and Sherman counties, Oregon
 • coordinates
45°38′07″N 120°54′52″W
 • elevation
164 ft (50 m)
Length252 mi (406 km)
Basin size10,500 sq mi (27,000 km2)
Discharge 
 • locationMoody, 1.4 miles (2.3 km) from mouth
 • average5,824 cu ft/s (164.9 m3/s)
 • minimum2,400 cu ft/s (68 m3/s)
 • maximum70,300 cu ft/s (1,990 m3/s)
National Wild and Scenic River
TypeScenic, Recreational
DesignatedOctober 28, 1988

The river flows generally north, as do several other large Oregon tributaries of the Columbia River, including the Willamette and John Day.

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