The Little Mashel River is a
river
A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of w ...
in
Pierce County,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
. It is a tributary of the
Mashel River
The Mashel River is a river in Pierce County, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a tributary of the Nisqually River, which it enters about southwest of Eatonville, at Nisqually river mile 39.6.
Course
The Mashel River’s headwaters are ...
, and enters the Mashel just downstream from the
Eatonville, Washington
Eatonville is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. It is south of Tacoma. The population was 2,845 at the 2020 census. The town motto is "Better Together".
History
For centuries, Nisqually people roamed the rivers and streams o ...
, city limits. It is noted for its canyon and the three waterfalls.
Course
The Little Mashel begins in a small, unnamed lake located about southeast of
Eatonville, Washington
Eatonville is a town in Pierce County, Washington, United States. It is south of Tacoma. The population was 2,845 at the 2020 census. The town motto is "Better Together".
History
For centuries, Nisqually people roamed the rivers and streams o ...
. Upon exiting the lake, the river, very small at this point, flows northeast for about before turning northwest for about , merging with South Fork Little Mashel River about along the way. There, the river briefly turns southwest, picks up the waters of its only named tributary, Midway Creek, and then turns northwest again. It flows that way for another or so until its confluence with the Mashel. A short canyon that sees the river drop over three large, often visited
waterfall
A waterfall is a point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in severa ...
s lies about above its mouth.
South Fork
The South Fork Little Mashel River begins about west of the lake the main fork begins in and flows northwest for about until it merges with the main fork of the Little Mashel not far upstream from where Midway Creek meets the Little Mashel.
See also
*
Little Mashel River Waterfalls
The Little Mashel River Waterfalls are the 3 waterfalls contained within the gorge of the Little Mashel River, not far above its confluence with the Mashel River.
Tom Tom Falls
Tom Tom Falls, at , also known as Upper Little Mashel Falls, is ...
*
List of rivers in Washington
This is a list of rivers in the U.S. state of Washington.
By drainage basin
This list is arranged by drainage basin. Respective tributaries are indented under each larger stream's name and are ordered downstream to upstream.
Fraser River (Britis ...
References
External links
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Rivers of Washington (state)
Rivers of Pierce County, Washington