# Santiam River

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River in Oregon, United States

Santiam River Near Interstate 5 in Linn County Map of the Willamette River watershed with the Santiam River highlighted Location of the mouth of the Santiam River in Oregon Etymology Kalapuya tribe that lived near the river until removal to the Grande Ronde Reservation[2] Location Country United States State Oregon County Linn and Marion Physical characteristics Source confluence of North Santiam and South Santiam rivers • location Linn and Marion counties, Oregon • coordinates 44°41′21″N 123°00′27″W / 44.68917°N 123.00750°W / 44.68917; -123.00750[1] • elevation 222 ft (68 m)[3] Mouth Willamette River • location between Albany and Salem, Marion County, Willamette Valley, Oregon • coordinates 44°45′00″N 123°08′20″W / 44.75000°N 123.13889°W / 44.75000; -123.13889[1] • elevation 164 ft (50 m)[1] Length 12 mi (19 km)[a] Basin size 1,830 sq mi (4,700 km2) Discharge • location Jefferson • average 7,714 cu ft/s (218.4 m3/s) • minimum 260 cu ft/s (7.4 m3/s) • maximum 202,000 cu ft/s (5,700 m3/s)

The **Santiam River** [/ˌsæntiːˈæm/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English) is a tributary of the [Willamette River](/source/Willamette_River), about 12 miles (19 km) long, in western [Oregon](/source/Oregon) in the United States. Through its two principal tributaries, the [North Santiam](/source/North_Santiam_River) and the [South Santiam](/source/South_Santiam_River) rivers, it drains a large area of the [Cascade Range](/source/Cascade_Range) at the eastern side of the [Willamette Valley](/source/Willamette_Valley) east of [Salem](/source/Salem%2C_Oregon) and [Corvallis](/source/Corvallis%2C_Oregon).

## Watershed

The main course of the river is short, formed in the Willamette Valley by the confluence of the North and South Santiam rivers on the border between [Linn](/source/Linn_County%2C_Oregon) and [Marion](/source/Marion_County%2C_Oregon) counties approximately 8 miles (13 km) northeast of [Albany](/source/Albany%2C_Oregon). It flows generally west-northwest in a slow [meandering](/source/Meander) course to join the Willamette from the east approximately 8 miles (13 km) north of Albany.

Both the North and South Santiam rise in high Cascades in eastern Linn County. The [Middle Santiam River](/source/Middle_Santiam_River) joins the South Santiam where the South Santiam is impounded to form [Foster Lake](/source/Foster_Lake). The North Santiam is impounded to form the 400-foot (120 m) deep [Detroit Lake](/source/Detroit_Lake) in the Cascades. The Santiam is a major source of water supply for Salem.

## History

The land surrounding Santiam river is the historic homeland of the Santiam band of the [Kalapuya](/source/Kalapuya). Chief Alaquema (aka Joe Hutchins) of the Santiam negotiated with U.S. representative John Gain at the Santiam Treaty Council in 1851 before the forced removal of the Santiam and other Kalapuya tribes to the Grande Ronde reservation. After days of arguing, Alaquema told Gain, "We understand fully what you mean and that it may be better for us, but our minds are made up." He pointed to the land between the fork of the river on a map and said, "We wish to reserve this piece of land. We do not wish to leave this. We would rather be shot on it than removed." This treaty was however never ratified and in 1856 the Santiam were later forced to leave the fork in the Santiam River they had fought to preserve.[5]

The [Great Willamette Flood of 1861](/source/Great_Flood_of_1862), which crested on December 2, destroyed many structures and animals on prairies near its confluence with the Willamette River and south of Knox Butte.[6]

## Fire district

Santiam River Zone is staffed by the Santiam Type 2 initial attack hand crew and two engines based out of the Detroit Ranger District. Additionally the Willamette National Forest has fire crews on the Mckenzie and Middle Fork Ranger Districts.

## See also

- [List of Oregon rivers](/source/List_of_Oregon_rivers)

- [Willamette Riverkeeper](/source/Willamette_Riverkeeper)

## Footnotes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** The maps include [river mile](/source/River_mile) (RM) markers for the river's entire length. From mouth to source they depict the Monmouth, Sydney, and Albany Oregon quadrants.[4]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-gnis_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-gnis_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-gnis_1-2) ["Santiam River"](https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names/1163256). *[Geographic Names Information System](/source/Geographic_Names_Information_System) (GNIS)*. United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved July 24, 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-McArthur_2-0)** McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003). *Oregon Geographic Names* (7th ed.). Portland, OR: Oregon Historical Society Press. p. 848. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-87595-277-1](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-87595-277-1).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-GE_3-0)** [Google Earth](/source/Google_Earth) elevation for GNIS coordinates

1. **[^](#cite_ref-topoquest-multiple-quads_4-0)** ["Monmouth, Sydney, and Albany Oregon quadrants"](http://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=44.689167&lon=-123.0075&datum=nad83&zoom=4) (topographic map). United States Geological Survey. Retrieved July 24, 2009 – via TopoQuest.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Culture Photo - Chief Alaquema"](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chinuk-wawa/id908108231). *Chinuk Wawa for iPhone*. Confederated Tribes of the Grande Ronde Community of Oregon. Retrieved May 20, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Stephenie Flora. ["Marion County Flood of 1861"](http://www.oregonpioneers.com/Flood_1861.htm). *The Oregon Territory and Its Pioneers*. Retrieved November 22, 2007.

## External links

- ["North Santiam Watershed Council"](http://www.nsantiamwatershed.org/).

- ["South Santiam Watershed Council"](http://www.sswc.org/).

- ["Willamette Riverkeeper"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090716170753/http://www.willamette-riverkeeper.org/WRK/index.html). Archived from [the original](http://www.willamette-riverkeeper.org/WRK/index.html) on 2009-07-16.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Santiam River](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiam_River) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiam_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.