The Spring River is a short but significant tributary of the
North Umpqua River in
Douglas County in the
U.S. state of
Oregon. It begins at a
spring
Spring(s) may refer to:
Common uses
* Spring (season), a season of the year
* Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy
* Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water
* Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...
complex in the
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range or Cascades is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, ...
on Pumice Flat in the
Umpqua National Forest
Umpqua National Forest, in southern Oregon's Cascade Range, covers an area of in Douglas County, Oregon, Douglas, Lane County, Oregon, Lane, and Jackson County, Oregon, Jackson counties, and borders Crater Lake National Park. The four ranger di ...
and flows north into the North Umpqua in Kelsay Valley, upstream of
Lemolo Lake
Lemolo Lake (ləmolo--Chinook Jargon for "wild" or "untamed") is a small lake and reservoir in Douglas County, Oregon in the Umpqua National Forest north of Crater Lake National Park, on the North Umpqua River. It is part of the Diamond Lake Ran ...
.
Evidence suggests that nearby Thirsty Creek has an underground connection to the Spring River and that underground connections from other sources exist.
Hydrology
The underground water feeding the springs emerges along the
contact
Contact may refer to:
Interaction Physical interaction
* Contact (geology), a common geological feature
* Contact lens or contact, a lens placed on the eye
* Contact sport, a sport in which players make contact with other players or objects
* ...
between glacial deposits and
ash-flow deposits that form the bedrock. Although Spring River and other nearby spring-fed streams are short, their total water contribution to the North Umpqua is significant, especially during dry months.
Thirsty Creek is a perennial stream that flows on the surface upstream of Spring River but sinks underground about before reaching it. Even so, it appears likely to researchers that it is part of the same watershed and contributes to the Spring River flow. Evidence also suggests that below-surface connections from elsewhere feed into Spring River. The low-flow discharge at the mouth of the river was measured at on August 10, 1997, more than Thirsty Creek alone could account for and more than half of the North Umpqua flow above Lemolo Lake.
Fish
Spring River is a
spawning ground for
kokanee Kokanee is a word from the Okanagan language referring to land-locked lake populations of sockeye salmon (''Oncorhynchus nerka''). It may also refer to:
* Kokanee Range, a subrange of the Selkirk Mountains in British Columbia, Canada
* Kokanee sal ...
from Lemolo Lake and
brown trout
The brown trout (''Salmo trutta'') is a European species of salmonid fish that has been widely introduced into suitable environments globally. It includes purely freshwater populations, referred to as the riverine ecotype, ''Salmo trutta'' morph ...
from the lake and the river. The river has good spawning gravels, a stable flow, and desirable temperatures for fish. The water from the springs emerges at and warms to between between source and mouth.
See also
*
List of rivers of Oregon
References
External links
Umpqua Watershed Council
{{authority control
Rivers of Oregon
Rivers of Douglas County, Oregon
Umpqua National Forest