Little River (North Umpqua River tributary) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Little River |
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 Location of the mouth of Little River in Oregon
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Douglas |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | near Quartz Mountain Umpqua National Forest, Cascade Range 4,482 ft (1,366 m) 43°11′07″N 122°40′59″W / 43.18528°N 122.68306°W |
| River mouth | North Umpqua River near Glide 676 ft (206 m) 43°17′51″N 123°06′06″W / 43.29750°N 123.10167°W |
| Length | 30 mi (48 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 206 sq mi (530 km2) |
The Little River is a cool river in southwestern Oregon, United States. It's about 30 miles (48 km) long. This river flows into the North Umpqua River.
The Little River starts near Quartz Mountain. This area is in the Umpqua National Forest. It flows through the western part of the Cascade Range. The river joins the North Umpqua River near a town called Glide. This spot is famous because the two rivers meet almost head-on! It's called Colliding Rivers.
The Colliding Rivers Information Center is a special building. It was built in 1938 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and the United States Forest Service (USFS). It used to be a ranger station. Later, it became a home. In 1990, people started fixing it up. They wanted it to look like it did originally. It opened as a visitor center in 1992. You can visit it to learn about the area. It's even on the National Register of Historic Places.
Why is it called Little River?
Long ago, this river was called the East Umpqua. In 1855, a settler named Meshek Tipton moved to the area. He had lived near another river called the Little River in Tennessee. It is believed that Tipton changed the name of the East Umpqua to Little River. He did this to remember his old home.
Where does the Little River flow?
The Little River starts north of Quartz Mountain. It's in the Umpqua National Forest. First, it flows north for about 3 miles (5 km). Then, it turns west and goes over Yakso Falls. After the falls, smaller streams join it. These include Hemlock Creek, Junction Creek, and Pinnacle Creek.
Further downstream, Cedar Creek joins the river. Then, Taft Creek, Clover Creek, and Black Creek also add their waters. The Little River then turns northwest. More creeks like Little Taft Creek and Poore Creek flow into it. White Creek also joins, and there's a campground nearby.
As the river continues, Negro Creek enters. You can find Cool Water Campground here too. After a while, Emile Creek and Shivigny Creek join the river. The river also passes by Wolf Creek Campground. Little Creek, Wolf Creek, and Greenman Creek are other streams that flow into the Little River.
Near the end of its journey, Boundary Creek joins. Then, Bond Creek, Cavitt Creek, and Jim Creek add their waters. At Cavitt Creek, you can see Cavitt Creek Falls. There's also Cavitt Creek County Park and a special covered bridge called Cavitt Creek Bridge. The river then turns north. Eagles Creek and Rattlesnake Creek flow into it. Finally, the river turns west again. Williams Creek, Fall Creek, and Buckhorn Creek join before the river heads north and northwest for its last mile. The Little River goes under Oregon Route 138. It then meets the North Umpqua River near Glide.
A road called Forest Road 27 runs alongside the Little River for most of its length. Closer to the river's end, it becomes County Road 17, also known as Little River Road. This paved road follows the river all the way to Route 138.
What lives in the Little River area?
The area around the Little River is mostly covered in thick forests. You can find many types of trees there. These include tall conifers and leafy hardwoods. There are also open prairie areas. Most of the land is public, meaning it's owned by the government.
Not many people live directly in the Little River area. Most homes and ranches are near the lower part of the river. The town of Glide is mostly outside this river's basin. In 2000, only about 1,200 people lived in the watershed.
Many different kinds of fish live in the Little River. Some fish travel from the ocean to lay their eggs here. These include Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, steelhead, Pacific lamprey, and coastal cutthroat trout. Other fish live in the river all the time. These are rainbow trout, brook trout, and cutthroat trout. You can also find kokanee here. The Little River and Cavitt Creek are great places for Coho salmon and other migrating fish to lay their eggs.
