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List of tributaries of the Columbia River facts for kids

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Tributaries and sub-tributaries are hierarchically listed in order from the mouth of the Columbia River upstream. Major dams and reservoir lakes are also noted.

Columbiarivermap
Map of the Columbia drainage Basin with the Columbia River highlighted and showing the major tributaries

List of major tributaries

The main river and tributaries are (sorted in order from the mouth heading upstream):

Left

tributary

Right

tributary

Length

(km)

Basin size

(km2)

Average discharge

(m3/s)

Lower Columbia

Mouth to Bonneville Dam

Youngs 43 257.6 14.7
Grays 48 320 15.9
Elochoman 24 490 10.8
Clatskanie 40 269.2 10.6
Cowlitz 169 6,698 286.6
Kalama 72 530 34.5
Lewis 153 2,709 173.4
Lake 18 260
Willamette 301 28,949 1,098.7
Washougal 53 550 24.7
Sandy 92 1,316 65
Middle Columbia

Bonneville Dam to McNary Dam

Wind 48 580 34.2
Little White Salmon 31 350
White Salmon 71.3 1,000 30.4
Hood 40 720 27.6
Klickitat 154.3 3,496 44.5
Fifteenmile Creek 87 970 5.6
Deschutes 406 27,549.6 215.7
John Day 457 20,521.3 80.4
Willow Creek 127 2,300 0.9
Umatilla 143 6,345 14
Upper Columbia

McNary Dam to Columbia Lake

Walla Walla 98 4,553 34.3
Snake 1,735 260,938.7 1,755.6
Yakima 344 15,930.4 100.3
Crab Creek 262 13,200 40.4
Wenatchee 85 3,473.1 103.7
Entiat 92 1,210 20.2
Chelan 6.6 2,390 57.8
Methow 129 4,727 44.4
Okanogan 185 21,385.7 99
Nespelem 580.8 2.5
Sanpoil 95 2,540 11.4
Spokane 179 17,353.4 228.6
Colville 97 2,646.8 16.4
Kettle 282 10,877 82.3
Pend Oreille 771 67,055.5 850.2
Kootenay 780 50,298 868
Whatshan 581.4 12
Mosquito Creek 435 10.2
Kuskanax Creek 350.9 10.6
Halfway 447.4 14.2
Incomappleux 1,020 55.8
Akolkolex 388.7 16.5
Illecillewaet 62 1,213.3 61.4
Jordan 345.6 11.1
Downie Creek 655.8 27.9
Goldstream 954.4 39.5
Big Mouth Creek 591.2 22.9
Canoe 712.6 15.2
Wood 841.7 18.1
Cummins 262.6 8.5
Kinbasket 261.3 7.6
Windy 252.3 10.2
Sullivan 632.5 18.9
Bush 1,100.1 25.5
Gold 566.4 27.9
Beaver 1,163 54.3
Bluewater 392.5 12.5
Waitabit Creek 352.2 9.6
Blaeberry 60 745.6 17.8
Kicking Horse 1,815.4 40.9
Canyon Creek 161.7 4.9
Spillimacheen 118 1,456.2 38
Bugaboo Creek 368.4 7.3
Forster Creek 592.4 8.8
Horsethief Creek 630.5 10
Toby Creek 673.5 9
Dutch Creek 676.5 7.9

Willamette River system

Snake River system

Yakima River system

Pend Oreille River system

Kootenay River system

See also

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List of tributaries of the Columbia River Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.