# Pilchuck River > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Pilchuck_River > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Pilchuck_River.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilchuck_River > Source revision: 1337137375 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Tributary of the Snohomish River, northwest Washington, United States}} {{Use American English|date=February 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2024}} {{Infobox river | name = Pilchuck River | native_name ={{native name|lut|dxʷkʷiƛ̕əb}} | name_other = | name_etymology = | image = Pilchuck River near Machias.jpg | image_caption = Pilchuck River a few miles north of Snohomish | map = Pilchuckmap.png | map_size = | map_caption = Map of the Pilchuck River highlighted in the Snohomish River watershed | pushpin_map = | pushpin_map_size = | pushpin_map_caption= | subdivision_type1 = Country | subdivision_name1 = [United States](/source/United_States) | subdivision_type2 = State | subdivision_name2 = [Washington](/source/Washington_(state)) | subdivision_type3 = Region | subdivision_name3 = [Snohomish County](/source/Snohomish_County%2C_Washington) | subdivision_type4 = | subdivision_name4 = | subdivision_type5 = Cities | subdivision_name5 = [Snohomish](/source/Snohomish%2C_Washington), [Granite Falls](/source/Granite_Falls%2C_Washington) | length = {{convert|40|mi|km|abbr=on}} | width_min = | width_avg = | width_max = | depth_min = | depth_avg = | depth_max = | discharge1_location= | discharge1_min = {{convert|36|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}} | discharge1_avg = {{convert|467|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}} | discharge1_max = {{convert|5050|cuft/s|m3/s|abbr=on}} | source1 = [Cascade Range](/source/Cascade_Range) | source1_location = | source1_coordinates= {{coord|47|59|19|N|121|40|43|W|display=inline}}{{GNIS|1524421|Pilchuck River}} | source1_elevation = {{convert|2125|ft|abbr=on}}Calculated via [Google Earth](/source/Google_Earth) | mouth = [Snohomish River](/source/Snohomish_River) | mouth_location = | mouth_coordinates = {{coord|47|54|13|N|122|5|27|W|display=inline,title}} | mouth_elevation = {{convert|8|ft|abbr=on}} | progression = | river_system = | basin_size = {{convert|127|sqmi|abbr=on}} | tributaries_left = | tributaries_right = | custom_label = | custom_data = | extra = }} The '''Pilchuck River''' ({{langx|lut|dxʷkʷiƛ̕əb}}){{cite book |last1=Bates |first1=Dawn |last2=Hess |first2=Thom |last3=Hilbert |first3=Vi |author-link3=Vi Hilbert |year=1994 |title=Lushootseed Dictionary |page=126 |publisher=[University of Washington Press](/source/University_of_Washington_Press) |location=Seattle |isbn=978-0-295-97323-4 |oclc=29877333}} is a [river](/source/river) in [Snohomish County](/source/Snohomish_County%2C_Washington) in the [U.S. state](/source/U.S._state) of [Washington](/source/Washington_(state)). It is a [tributary](/source/tributary) of the [Snohomish River](/source/Snohomish_River). The name is derived from the [Chinook Jargon](/source/Chinook_Jargon) ''pilpil'' ("blood", "red") and ''chuck'' ("water"), or "red water".{{cite book|last=Bright|first=William|authorlink=William O. Bright|title=Native American placenames of the United States|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5XfxzCm1qa4C&pg=PA382|accessdate=April 6, 2011|year=2004|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|isbn=978-0-8061-3598-4|page=382}} The [Lushootseed](/source/Lushootseed) name means "flowing red," {{Langx|lut|kʷiƛ̕|label=none}} being an archaic term for "red" in Northern Lushootseed.{{Cite journal |last=Hess |first=Thom |date=1979 |title=Central Coast Salish Words for Deer: Their Wavelike Distribution |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1264971 |journal=[International Journal of American Linguistics](/source/International_Journal_of_American_Linguistics) |volume=45 |issue=1 |pages=5-16 |jstor=1264971}} ==Course== The Pilchuck River originates in the [Cascade Range](/source/Cascade_Range). It flows generally west until it reaches [Granite Falls](/source/Granite_Falls%2C_Washington), then it turns and flows south, passing by [Lochsloy](/source/Lochsloy%2C_Washington) and [Machias](/source/Machias%2C_Washington) before emptying into the [Snohomish River](/source/Snohomish_River) near [Snohomish](/source/Snohomish%2C_Washington). The Snohomish River empties into [Possession Sound](/source/Possession_Sound), part of [Puget Sound](/source/Puget_Sound).[https://pubs.usgs.gov/wdr/2005/wdr-wa-05-1/ Washington Water Year 2005], USGS Water Resources Data The Pilchuck River has sections that have long stretches of gravel [bars](/source/bar_(river_morphology)) as well as glacial terraces.{{cite journal |last1=Anderson |first1=Scott W. |last2=Shattuck |first2=Brett |last3=Shea |first3=Neil |last4=Seguin |first4=Catherine M. |last5=Miles |first5=Joe J. |last6=Marks |first6=Derek |last7=Coumou |first7=Natasha |date=June 18, 2024 |title=River Channel Response to the Removal of The Pilchuck River Diversion Dam, Washington State |journal=[Northwest Science](/source/Northwest_Science) |pages=134–145 |volume=97 |issue=1-2 |publisher=[Washington State University Press](/source/Washington_State_University_Press) |issn=0029-344X |oclc=191543181 |doi=10.3955/046.097.0113 |doi-access=free}} The Pilchuck River flows alongside the [Centennial Trail](/source/Snohomish_County_Centennial_Trail) from Machias to Snohomish.{{cite news |last=Swaney |first=Aaron |date=July 11, 2021 |title=Easy riding: Centennial Trail offers bicycle fun for everyone |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/life/easy-riding-centennial-trail-offers-bicycle-fun-for-everyone/ |work=[The Everett Herald](/source/The_Everett_Herald) |accessdate=November 13, 2024}} ==Human history== Suburban development along the river's course in the mid-to-late 20th century resulted in declining salmon runs and the placement of obstructions that damaged fish habitats. Mitigation work began in 2002 under the [Washington State Department of Transportation](/source/Washington_State_Department_of_Transportation) (WSDOT); the Pilchuck River had begun to threaten sections of [State Route 92](/source/Washington_State_Route_92) near Granite Falls with erosion.{{cite news |last=Zamora |first=Connor |date=July 9, 2024 |title=Project aims to restore fish habitat to the Pilchuck River |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/project-aims-to-restore-fish-habitat-to-the-pilchuck-river/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=November 13, 2024}}{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=December 30, 2014 |title=Pilchuck River gnawing at stretch of Highway 92 |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/pilchuck-river-gnawing-at-stretch-of-highway-92/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=November 13, 2024}} A house was swept away by the river in 2012 and continued to threaten other properties, resulting in a 2016 WSDOT project to stabilize the banks and reroute the river.{{cite news |last=Bray |first=Kari |date=March 3, 2016 |title=Pilchuck River is steadily eating away at properties in Lake Stevens |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/pilchuck-river-is-steadily-eating-away-at-properties-in-lake-stevens/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=November 13, 2024}} Additional work to create new fish habitats in the river by placing logs tied to large rocks began in 2024. The Pilchuck River Dam was constructed in 1912 southeast of Granite Falls to provide [drinking water](/source/drinking_water) for parts of [Snohomish](/source/Snohomish%2C_Washington). A second dam on the site was constructed in 1932 and included a [fish ladder](/source/fish_ladder).{{cite news |last=Mapes |first=Lynda V. |date=August 5, 2020 |title=Another Washington dam removal – I and 37 more miles of salmon habitat restored |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/another-washington-dam-removal-and-37-more-miles-of-salmon-habitat-restored/ |work=[The Seattle Times](/source/The_Seattle_Times) |accessdate=November 13, 2024}} The dams prevented salmon from accessing the upper Pilchuck watershed; by 2019, the annual salmon run had declined by 99.6 percent of its historic counts.{{cite news |last=Sanders |first=Julia-Grace |date=July 6, 2020 |title=A major fish barrier on the Pilchuck River is coming down |url=https://www.heraldnet.com/news/a-major-fish-barrier-on-the-pilchuck-river-is-coming-down/ |work=The Everett Herald |accessdate=November 13, 2024}} The [Tulalip Tribes](/source/Tulalip_Tribes) and city government of Snohomish planned for the dam's removal in the 2010s and received funding from government sources and a grant from the [Paul G. Allen Family Foundation](/source/Paul_G._Allen_Family_Foundation). The dam was removed in August 2020 at a cost of $2 million; by November, most of the sediment behind the dam had been deposited downstream by the river. ==See also== * [List of rivers of Washington (state)](/source/List_of_rivers_of_Washington_(state)) ==References== {{reflist}} {{authority control}} Category:Rivers of Washington (state) Category:Rivers of Snohomish County, Washington {{SnohomishCountyWA-geo-stub}} {{Washington-river-stub}} --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Pilchuck River](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilchuck_River) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilchuck_River?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.