Metolius River
| Metolius River | |
|---|---|
Wizard Falls on the Metolius River, where the river drops over a ledge | |
Map of the river course | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Metolius Springs |
| • coordinates | 44°25′39″N 121°38′07″W / 44.427617°N 121.635330°W |
| • elevation | 3,000 ft (910 m) |
| Mouth | |
• location | Lake Billy Chinook |
• coordinates | 44°35′51″N 121°17′13″W / 44.597619°N 121.286991°W |
• elevation | 1,945 ft (593 m) |
| Length | 29 mi (47 km) |
| Basin size | 315 sq mi (820 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 1,497 cu ft/s (42.4 m3/s) |
| Type | Scenic, Recreational |
| Designated | October 28, 1988 |
The Metolius River (pronounced muh TOLL ee us) is a tributary of the Deschutes River in Central Oregon, United States. The river flows north from springs near Black Butte, then turns sharply east, descending through a series of gorges before ending in the western end of Lake Billy Chinook. The unincorporated community of Camp Sherman lies astride the southern end of the river. The name of the river comes from the Warm Springs or Sahaptin word mitula, meaning white salmon and referring to a light colored Chinook salmon and not a whitefish.
The river's drainage basin is 315 square miles (820 km2) in area and, according to at least one estimate, contains 110 miles (180 km) of perennial streams, 324 miles (521 km) of intermittent streams, 42 lakes, and 121 ponds.