The Pilchuck River (Lushootseed: dxʷkʷiƛ̕əb)[4] is a river in Snohomish County in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a tributary of the Snohomish River. The name is derived from the Chinook Jargon pilpil ("blood", "red") and chuck ("water"), or "red water".[5] The Lushootseed name means "flowing red," kʷiƛ̕ being an archaic term for "red" in Northern Lushootseed.[6]
| Pilchuck River | |
|---|---|
 Pilchuck River a few miles north of Snohomish | |
 Map of the Pilchuck River highlighted in the Snohomish River watershed | |
| Native name | dxʷkʷiƛ̕əb (Lushootseed) |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| Region | Snohomish County |
| Cities | Snohomish, Granite Falls |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Cascade Range |
| • coordinates | 47°59′19″N 121°40′43″W / 47.98861°N 121.67861°W[1] |
| • elevation | 2,125 ft (648 m)[2] |
| Mouth | Snohomish River |
• coordinates | 47°54′13″N 122°5′27″W / 47.90361°N 122.09083°W[1] |
• elevation | 8 ft (2.4 m)[2] |
| Length | 40 mi (64 km)[2] |
| Basin size | 127 sq mi (330 km2)[3] |
| Discharge | |
| • average | 467 cu ft/s (13.2 m3/s) |
| • minimum | 36 cu ft/s (1.0 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 5,050 cu ft/s (143 m3/s) |
Course
The Pilchuck River originates in the Cascade Range. It flows generally west until it reaches Granite Falls, then it turns and flows south, passing by Lochsloy and Machias before emptying into the Snohomish River near Snohomish. The Snohomish River empties into Possession Sound, part of Puget Sound.[3]
The Pilchuck River flows alongside the Centennial Trail from roughly Machias to Snohomish.