The Winchuck River (
Tolowa: duu-sr-xuu-shi taa-ghin-li~') is a short coastal stream that runs through the
Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest to the
Pacific Ocean in the
U.S. states of
Oregon and
California. Flowing generally west from its origin near Elk Mountain, the river enters the sea at
Crissey Field State Recreation Site,
about north of the Oregon–California border and about south of
Brookings Brookings may refer to:
Organizations
* Brookings Institution, a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy organization based in Washington, D.C.
Places
* Brookings, Oregon, USA
* Brookings, South Dakota, USA
* Brookings County, South Dakota, USA ...
.
Formed by the confluence of Fourth of July Creek and Bear Creek in southern
Curry County, the river flows generally west. Just below the source, Salmon Creek enters from the
left
Left may refer to:
Music
* ''Left'' (Hope of the States album), 2006
* ''Left'' (Monkey House album), 2016
* "Left", a song by Nickelback from the album ''Curb'', 1996
Direction
* Left (direction), the relative direction opposite of right
* L ...
, then Elk Creek and Deer Creek enter from the
right. Further downstream, the Winchuck receives Moser Creek and the South Fork Winchuck River, both from the left. The river then leaves Oregon, flowing in
Del Norte County, California, for a short distance before re-entering Oregon. The Winchuck passes under
U.S. Route 101 in Oregon
U.S. Route 101 (US 101), is a major north–south U.S. Highway in Oregon that runs through the state along the coastline near the Pacific Ocean. It runs from the California border, south of Brookings, Oregon, Brookings, to the Washingto ...
just before reaching the ocean. Winchuck River Road runs along or near the north side of the river for much of its course.
[ Relevant map quadrangles from mouth to source are Mount Emily, Smith River, and Fourth of July Creek.]
The main stem and tributaries support
chinook and
coho salmon,
steelhead, and sea-run
coastal cutthroat trout
The coastal cutthroat trout (''Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii''), also known as the sea-run cutthroat trout, blue-back trout or harvest trout, is one of the several subspecies of cutthroat trout found in Western North America. The coastal cutthroa ...
.
Access for fishing is limited, especially along the lower stretches of the river. Fishing from boats is not allowed, but Winchuck River Road provides public access in places.
Flora in the watershed's forests include
Douglas-fir,
bigleaf maple, and
madrone, typical of the
Southern Oregon Coast Range, the coastal
Siskiyou Mountains, and the Redwoods Zone.
[McGuire, pp. 13–20] Most of Oregon's remaining
coast redwood forest lies within the Winchuck drainage.
Sensitive fauna in the watershed include the
spotted owl and
marbled murrelet.
References
Works cited
*
*McGuire, Mike (June 2001)
"Winchuck River Watershed Assessment"(PDF). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
*
External links
Curry Watersheds
{{authority control
Rivers of Curry County, Oregon
Rivers of Oregon
Oregon placenames of Native American origin