{{Short description|River in NE Oregon, USA}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox river | name = Minam River | native_name = | native_name_lang = | name_other = | name_etymology = <!---------------------- IMAGE & MAP --> | image = Minam River near confluence with Wallowa River IMG 4501.jpg | image_caption = Minam River near its confluence with the Wallowa River | image_size = 300 | map = | map_size = 300 | map_caption = | pushpin_map = USA Oregon#USA | pushpin_map_size = 300 | pushpin_map_caption= Location of the mouth of the Minam River in Oregon <!---------------------- LOCATION --> | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = United States | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = Oregon | subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | subdivision_type4 = County | subdivision_name4 = Union and Wallowa | subdivision_type5 = | subdivision_name5 = <!---------------------- PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS --> | length = {{convert|51|mi|km|abbr=on}}<ref name=NHD>{{cite web|title=The National Map: National Hydrography Dataset |publisher=United States Geological Survey |url=http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |accessdate=May 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120329155652/http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ |archivedate=March 29, 2012 }}</ref> | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= | discharge1_min = | discharge1_avg = {{convert|455|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}}<ref name="Palmer">{{cite book|last=Palmer|first=Tim|title=Field Guide to Oregon Rivers|publisher=Oregon State University Press|location=Corvallis|year=2014|pages=289–90|isbn=978-0-87071-627-0}}</ref> | discharge1_max = <!---------------------- BASIN FEATURES --> | source1 = Eagle Cap Wilderness | source1_location = Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, Union County | source1_coordinates= {{coord|45|10|07|N|117|21|28|W|display=inline}}<ref name="gnis">{{cite web | work = Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) | publisher = United States Geological Survey | date = November 28, 1980 | url ={{Gnis3|1146303}} | title = Minam River|accessdate=September 28, 2011}}</ref> | source1_elevation = {{convert|7684|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name="source">Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.</ref> | mouth = Wallowa River | mouth_location = Minam, Wallowa County | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|45|37|17|N|117|43|14|W|display=inline,title}}<ref name="gnis"/> | mouth_elevation = {{convert|2536|ft|abbr=on}}<ref name = "gnis"/> | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = {{convert|239|sqmi|abbr=on}}<ref>{{cite web|title = Minam River Spring Chinook Population|publisher = Northwest Fisheries Science Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|url = http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/trt/trt_documents/minam_chinook3_10_07.pdf|format = PDF|page = 2|accessdate = August 17, 2010|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304193225/http://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/trt/trt_documents/minam_chinook3_10_07.pdf|archivedate = March 4, 2016}}</ref> | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = {{Designation list | embed = yes | designation1 = nwsr | designation1_type = Wild | designation1_date = October 28, 1988 | designation1_number = }} }}
The '''Minam River''' is a tributary of the Wallowa River, {{convert|51|mi}} long,<ref name=NHD/> in northeastern Oregon in the United States. It drains a rugged wilderness area of the Wallowa Mountains northeast of La Grande.
It rises in the Wallowas in the Eagle Cap Wilderness of the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest, just south of the Wallowa–Union border approximately {{convert|25|mi}} southeast of La Grande at Blue Lake. It flows generally northwest through the mountains along the Wallowa–Union county line. It joins the Wallowa from the south at the community of Minam near Oregon Route 82.<ref>{{cite book|title=Oregon Atlas & Gazetteer|publisher=DeLorme Mapping|location= Freeport, Maine|year=1991 |page=87|isbn=0-89933-235-8}}</ref> Its headwaters include springs stemming from outflow from Minam Lake,<ref name="National Wild"/> also the source of the Lostine River.<ref name="nwsrs">{{cite web|url=http://www.rivers.gov/rivers/rivers/lostine.php|title=Lostine River, Oregon|publisher=National Wild and Scenic Rivers System|accessdate=December 12, 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014032006/http://www.rivers.gov/rivers/rivers/lostine.php|archivedate=October 14, 2012}}</ref>
From its headwaters to the Eagle Cap Wilderness boundary downstream of Cougar Creek, a distance of {{convert|39|mi|km}}, the Minam River was declared part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1988. Accessible mainly by United States Forest Service trails, the river basin supports diverse wildlife, including wolverine, bighorn sheep, elk, American black bear, and cougar.<ref name="National Wild">{{cite web|title=National Wild and Scenic Rivers: Minam River, Oregon|url=http://www.rivers.gov/rivers/minam.php|publisher= United States Forest Service|date=August 18, 2011|accessdate=December 24, 2015}}</ref>
The Minam, except for the lower {{convert|8|mi|km|0}}, where the surrounds have been heavily logged and otherwise altered, is largely pristine. It and the Wenaha River are the two largest rivers in Oregon that are nearly pristine.<ref name="Palmer"/>
{| class="wikitable sortable" ! point !! geolocation !! USGS map |- | mouth at Wallowa River || {{coord|45.621256|-117.720478|type:river_region:US-OR_source:gnis-1146303|name=Minam River mouth|display=inline}} || Minam |- | GNIS point 2, RM 10.1 || {{coord|45.499866|-117.685198|type:river_region:US-OR_source:gnis-1146303|name=Minam River RM 10.1}} || Mount Moriah |- | GNIS point 3 || {{coord|45.374586|-117.652424|type:river_region:US-OR_source:gnis-1146303|name=Minam River pt 3}} || Mount Fanny |- | GNIS point 4 || {{coord|45.347364|-117.626036|type:river_region:US-OR_source:gnis-1146303|name=Minam River pt 4}} || Jim White Ridge |- | GNIS point 5 || {{coord|45.249867|-117.529373|type:river_region:US-OR_source:gnis-1146303|name=Minam River pt 5}} || China Cap |- | GNIS point 6, RM 33.8 || {{coord|45.210980|-117.500761|type:river_region:US-OR_source:gnis-1146303|name=Minam River RM 33.8}} || Steamboat Lake |- | Blue Lake source RM 46 || {{coord|45.168485|-117.357688|type:river_region:US-OR_source:gnis-1146303|name=Minam River source RM 46}} || Eagle Cap |}
==Tributaries== From source to mouth, the named tributaries of the Minam River are Pop and Trail creeks, which enter from the left; Lowry Gulch, left; Wild Sheep Creek, right; Granite Gulch, right; Elk Creek, left; and Last Chance Gulch, right. Then Cap, Rock, and Lackey creeks, all from the left; Pole Creek, right, Pot Creek, left; North Minam River, right, and Little Pot and Jerry creeks, left.<ref name="topo map">{{cite web|title=United States Topographic Map|publisher=United States Geological Survey|via=Acme Mapper|url=http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=45.621389,-117.720556&z=12&t=T&marker0=45.621389,-117.720556,Minam%20River|accessdate=December 23, 2015}}</ref>
Then Threemile, Garwood, Whoopee, Chaparral, Wallowa, Horseheaven, and Horse Basin creeks, all from the right; the Little Minam River, left; Faun Creek, right, and Lobo and Eagle creeks, left. Then Murphy, Trout, Cougar, Gunderson, and Squaw creeks, all from the right.<ref name="topo map"/>
==See also== *List of longest streams of Oregon *List of rivers of Oregon *List of National Wild and Scenic Rivers
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
==External links== *[http://www.grmw.org/about/ Grande Ronde Model Watershed] {{GeoGroup}}
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Category:Rivers of Oregon Category:Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States Category:Rivers of Wallowa County, Oregon Category:Rivers of Union County, Oregon Category:Eagle Cap Wilderness