Okanogan River - Definition and Overview

The Okanogan River (called the Okanagan River in its upper reaches in Canada) is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately 115 mi (185 km) long, in southern British Columbia in Canada and north central Washington in the United States. It drains a scenic plateau region called the Okanogan Country east of the Cascade Range and north and west of the Columbia.

It rises in southern British Columbia, issuing out of the southern end Okanagan Lake. It flows south past Penticton and Okanagan Falls, crossing the international border into Washington near Oroville in Okanogan County. Osoyoos Lake on the river spans the U.S.-Canada border. From Oroville it flows south through the Okonogan Region, past the town of Okanogan and forming the western boundary of the Colville Indian Reservation. It enters the Columbia from the north, 5 mi (8 km) east of Brewster, between the Wells Dam (downstream) and the Chief Joseph Dam (upstream).

It receives the Similkameen River from the west and Oroville. It receives the Omak River from the east at Omak, Washington, 5 mi (8 km) northwest of the town of Okanogan.

External links

• Okanogan River Basin (http://www.nwcouncil.org/fw/subbasinplanning/shortsummary.asp?id=37)
• Okanogan Country Timeline (http://www.rootsweb.com/~waokanog/timeline.htm)
• Washington Dept. of Transportation: Okanogan Country (http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/regions/northcentral/communication/071802-US97%20Byway%20Approval.htm)