Applegate River

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title: "Applegate River" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["rivers-of-northern-california", "rivers-of-oregon", "rogue-river-(oregon)", "rivers-of-siskiyou-county,-california", "rivers-of-jackson-county,-oregon", "rivers-of-josephine-county,-oregon"] description: "River in Oregon, United States of America" topic_path: "general/rivers-of-northern-california" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Applegate_River" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary River in Oregon, United States of America ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox river"]

Field	Value
name	Applegate River
name_etymology	Named after Lindsay Applegate, part of a group that prospected along the river in 1848
edition	7th
page	29}}
image	Applegate Lake Oregon.jpg
image_caption	Applegate Lake on the Applegate River
image_size	300
map	Applegate River watershed.jpg
map_size	300
map_caption	Applegate River watershed (Interactive map)
pushpin_map_size	300
pushpin_map_caption	Location of the mouth of the Applegate River in Oregon
subdivision_type1	Country
subdivision_name1	United States
subdivision_type2	State
subdivision_name2	Oregon, California
subdivision_type4	County
subdivision_name4	Siskiyou in California, Jackson and Josephine in Oregon
length	51 mi
author	United States Geological Survey (USGS)
title	United States Geological Survey Topographic Map: Squaw Lakes quadrant
publisher	TopoQuest
url	http://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=42.05442&lon=-123.11568&datum=nad83&zoom=2&map=auto&coord=d&mode=zoomin&size=m
accessdate	May 20, 2009}} The map includes a river mile (RM) marker for RM 46 (river kilometer 74) near the intake for Applegate Dam, about 5 mi downstream from the source.
discharge1_location	near Wilderville, 7.6 mi from the mouth
discharge1_min	0.78 ft3/s
discharge1_avg	720 ft3/s
discharge1_max	47500 ft3/s
source1	Confluence of Butte Fork Applegate River and Middle Fork Applegate River
source1_location	Siskiyou Mountains, Siskiyou County, California
source1_coordinates
source1_elevation	2534 ft
mouth	Rogue River
mouth_location	about 6 mi west of Grants Pass, Josephine County, Oregon
mouth_coordinates	{{cite gnis
id	1137279
name	Applegate River
entrydate	November 28, 1980
accessdate	May 20, 2009}}
mouth_elevation	850 ft
basin_size	698 mi2
publisher	United States Geological Survey
url	https://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2007/pdfs/14369500.2007.pdf
title	Water-Data Report 2007: 14369500 Applegate River near Wilderville, OR
accessdate	May 20, 2009}}
::

| name = Applegate River | name_native = | name_native_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = Named after Lindsay Applegate, part of a group that prospected along the river in 1848 |edition = 7th |page = 29}} | image = Applegate Lake Oregon.jpg | image_caption = Applegate Lake on the Applegate River | image_size = 300 | map = Applegate River watershed.jpg | map_size = 300 | map_caption = Applegate River watershed (Interactive map) | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = 300 | pushpin_map_caption= Location of the mouth of the Applegate River in Oregon | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United States | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = Oregon, California | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = County | subdivision_name4 = Siskiyou in California, Jackson and Josephine in Oregon | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = | length = 51 mi | author = United States Geological Survey (USGS) |title = United States Geological Survey Topographic Map: Squaw Lakes quadrant | publisher = TopoQuest | url = http://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=42.05442&lon=-123.11568&datum=nad83&zoom=2&map=auto&coord=d&mode=zoomin&size=m | accessdate = May 20, 2009}} The map includes a river mile (RM) marker for RM 46 (river kilometer 74) near the intake for Applegate Dam, about 5 mi downstream from the source. | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= near Wilderville, 7.6 mi from the mouth | discharge1_min = 0.78 ft3/s | discharge1_avg = 720 ft3/s | discharge1_max = 47500 ft3/s | source1 = Confluence of Butte Fork Applegate River and Middle Fork Applegate River | source1_location = Siskiyou Mountains, Siskiyou County, California | source1_coordinates= | source1_elevation = 2534 ft | mouth = Rogue River | mouth_location = about 6 mi west of Grants Pass, Josephine County, Oregon | mouth_coordinates = {{cite gnis |id= 1137279 |name=Applegate River |entrydate= November 28, 1980 |accessdate=May 20, 2009}} | mouth_elevation = 850 ft | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = 698 mi2 | publisher = United States Geological Survey | url = https://wdr.water.usgs.gov/wy2007/pdfs/14369500.2007.pdf | title = Water-Data Report 2007: 14369500 Applegate River near Wilderville, OR |accessdate = May 20, 2009}} | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra =

The Applegate River is a 51 mi-long tributary of the Rogue River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It drains approximately 698 mi2. Rising in northern California, it soon crosses the border and flows northeast then northwest to meet the Rogue about 6 mi west of Grants Pass. It drains forested foothills of the Siskiyou Mountains along the Oregon–California border.

Course

The Applegate River's headwaters are located in the Siskiyou Mountains in California, part of the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest. The water collects from snowmelt and springs. The Siskiyou area receives from 17 to of precipitation annually. |title= Ecosystem management in the United States |first1= Steven |last1= Yaffee |first2=Ali |last2=Phillips |year= 1996 |publisher= Island Press |isbn= 978-1-55963-502-8 |pages=87–88 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5d7mIJclyk4C&pg=PA87 |accessdate=July 24, 2009}} The river then flows north through a steep canyon past the Oregon-California border, receiving water from Elliot Creek. |title = Recreation - Applegate River |publisher = United States Forest Service |url = http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogue-siskiyou/recreation/rivers/applegate.shtml |accessdate = July 24, 2009}} |publisher=Benchmark Maps |title=Oregon Road and Recreation Atlas |edition=4th |year=2010 |scale=1:250,000 |pages=95–96 |isbn=978-0-929591-62-9}} Elliot Creek begins near Dutchman Peak in Oregon, before flowing southwest into California, roughly paralleling the border. It joins the Applegate just before it enters Oregon. This area saw major floods in 1964 and 1974, before the Applegate Dam was constructed.

The river is impounded by Applegate Dam several miles into Oregon, forming the 988 acre Applegate Lake. |title = Applegate Lake |publisher = United States Forest Service |url = http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/rogue/aboutapplegatelk.html |accessdate = July 24, 2009}} The United States Army Corps of Engineers began construction of the dam in 1974, and it was completed in 1980. The lake nearly extends to California. The purpose of the lake is to provide irrigation and flood control for the Applegate Valley. |title= Natural States |first1= Richard |last1= Judd |first2=Christopher |last2=Beach |year= 2003 |publisher= Resources for the Future |isbn= 978-1-891853-59-3 |pages=79–81 |url=https://archive.org/details/naturalstatesenv0000judd |url-access= registration |accessdate=July 24, 2009}} The community of Copper was inundated by the rising waters of the lake, and is now over 100 ft below lake level. |url= http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081214/NEWS/812140331 |title= The underwater ghost town |date= December 14, 2008 |last= Miller |first= Bill |publisher= Mail Tribune |location= Medford, Oregon |accessdate= July 24, 2009}}

From Applegate Dam, the river flows north and slightly eastwards. About 8 mi from California, it flows under the McKee Bridge. |url=http://www.oregon.com/covered_bridges/bridges/mckee.cfm |title=Applegate River (McKee) Covered Bridge |publisher=Oregon.com |accessdate=July 26, 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608185641/http://www.oregon.com/covered_bridges/bridges/mckee.cfm |archivedate=June 8, 2009 The covered bridge was built in 1917 for miners and loggers. It was closed in 1956, deemed unsafe for motor vehicles. Restored in 1965 and 1985, the bridge is now open for pedestrians.

Several miles past McKee Bridge is the confluence with the Little Applegate River. Near Ruch, the Applegate turns and flows northwest through the unincorporated communities of Applegate and Provolt. Near Provolt it passes from Jackson County to Josephine County. Tributaries in this area include Thompson Creek and Williams Creek, and both flow north. Williams Creek was named after Captain Robert Williams, who fought the Rogue River Indians along the creek during the Rogue River Wars. It flows through Williams, also named for the captain.

From Williams Creek the Applegate turns west and flows through Murphy. It then turns north through Wilderville.

The river empties into the Rogue River 6 mi west of Grants Pass, just above the start of the Wild and Scenic section of the Rogue. It discharges an average of 720 ft3/s, however as high as 47500 ft3/s was recorded in 1953, and as low as 0.78 ft3/s was recorded in 1979, when Applegate Lake was being filled.

Watershed

The Applegate River drains approximately 698 mi2. Approximately 35 percent of the watershed is owned by the United States Forest Service (as part of the Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest), and another 35 percent by the Bureau of Land Management. Private property covers 20 percent, while the remaining 10 percent is commercial forests.

About 12,000 people live in the river's watershed in multiple towns and farms, although none of the towns are incorporated.

Flora and fauna

The most common trees within the Applegate River's watershed include Douglas fir and madrone. |title= Best Hikes With Dogs: Oregon |first= Ellen |last= Bishop |year= 2004 |publisher= The Mountaineers Books |isbn=978-0-89886-944-6 |pages=208–211 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_fWof0vm3-UC&pg=PA208 |accessdate=July 25, 2009}} Oregon white oak and big-leaf maple grow in the loam soil found on the higher slopes. |title= Restoring the Pacific Northwest |first1= Dean |last1= Apostal |first2= Marcia |last2= Sinclair |year= 2006 |publisher= Island Press |isbn= 978-1-55963-078-8 |page=67 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CsGyhzFBjyAC&pg=PA67 |accessdate=July 25, 2009}} Shrubs such as vine maple and manzanita grow beneath the trees.

Animals that live along the Applegate River include the endangered Siskiyou Mountains salamander, and the near threatened spotted owl.

References

References

1. Source elevation derived from [[Google Earth]] search using [[Geographic Names Information System]] (GNIS) source coordinates.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::