Tye River (Washington) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tye River
Location of the mouth of the Tye River in Washington
Country	United States
State	Washington
County	King
Physical characteristics
Main source	Cascade Range Stevens Pass 47°44′28″N 121°5′12″W / 47.74111°N 121.08667°W / 47.74111; -121.08667
River mouth	South Fork Skykomish River 47°42′18″N 121°18′21″W / 47.70500°N 121.30583°W / 47.70500; -121.30583
Length	11 mi (18 km)
Basin features
Basin size	81 sq mi (210 km2)

The Tye River is a river in the state of Washington, United States. It begins high up in the Cascade Mountains near Stevens Pass. The river flows west and then joins the Foss River. Together, they form the South Fork Skykomish River.

The Tye River's water eventually flows into Puget Sound. This is a large inlet of the Pacific Ocean near Everett. U.S. Route 2 follows the entire length of the river. A train line, owned by BNSF Railway, also runs along most of the river. Near Stevens Pass, the train tracks go through the Cascade Tunnel. Power lines from the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) also follow the Tye River west of Tunnel Creek.

Most of the land that drains into the Tye River is part of the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The Tye River is sometimes seen as the upper part of the South Fork Skykomish River. This is true even though the Rapid River, which flows into the Beckler River, actually provides more water to the South Fork Skykomish. The Tye River is named after W.H. Tye, a surveyor who helped plan the train route to Stevens Pass.

River's Journey

The Tye River starts on the west side of the North Cascades mountains. Its source is on Cowboy Mountain at Stevens Pass. The river first flows west, then turns southwest. Many small streams join it along the way.

About 9.2 miles (14.8 km) upstream from where the Tye River ends, Tunnel Creek flows into it. This is near the western entrance of the Cascade Tunnel. U.S. Route 2 makes a sharp turn in the valley of Tunnel Creek. The Tye River then turns more directly west.

Further downstream, Surprise Creek and its branch, Scenic Creek, join the Tye River near Scenic. Deception Creek also joins the river near Deception Falls. These creeks all flow in from the south. After Deception Creek, Martin Creek joins the Tye River from the north.

About 4.5 miles (7.2 km) from its end, the Tye River flows over Alpine Falls. Below these falls, Carroll Creek and Alpine Creek join the river from the south. The BPA power line crosses the Tye River about 3.2 miles (5.1 km) from its mouth. A few miles east of Skykomish, the Foss River joins the Tye River. This is where the South Fork Skykomish River officially begins.

River History

The Great Northern Railway built the train tracks that BNSF now owns. These tracks originally followed the Tye River up to Stevens Pass. To cross the pass, the trains had to use a series of switchbacks. The first Cascade Tunnel was built near Wellington, just west of the pass.

In 1910, a terrible snowslide, known as the Wellington avalanche, happened there. After this disaster, the Great Northern Railway changed the town's name from Wellington to Tye. They did this because the name Wellington had become linked with the tragedy. The town of Tye was later abandoned after a second, longer Cascade Tunnel was built in 1929.

Nature and Wildlife

The upper part of the Tye River flows through a valley that is steep, narrow, and covered in thick forests. Below Surprise Creek, the Tye's valley becomes wider and narrower in different spots. The valley bottoms have dense forests with both leafy and cone-bearing trees. The valley sides are covered in thick conifer forests.

Many of the lower forests have been cut down at least once. Older, untouched forests are mostly found along the higher streams that flow into the Tye. Above Deception Creek, the Tye River drops steeply. This creates a continuous series of small waterfalls and fast-flowing sections.

Closer to its mouth, the Tye River becomes less steep and wider. The valley also becomes flatter and broader. In this area, the river sometimes splits into many smaller channels, like a braided river. There are many logs and other large pieces of wood in this part of the river. These create excellent homes for salmon. The last mile of the Tye River has a steeper drop with waterfalls and deep pools.

Almost all the streams that flow into the Tye River are high mountain streams. They have very steep slopes. Some of these streams come from hanging valleys, where they plunge down tall waterfalls into the Tye River valley.

The Tye River is home to Chinook and Coho salmon. Adult salmon swim upstream as far as Alpine Falls. Most salmon lay their eggs in the main part of the river. Some Coho salmon lay eggs in the lower parts of smaller streams, like Alpine Creek. Young salmon grow up throughout the parts of the river basin they can reach.

No migrating fish can go above Alpine Falls. This waterfall completely blocks their path. Sunset Falls on the South Fork Skykomish River, which is below the Tye River's mouth, also blocks fish migration. All the migrating fish found above Sunset Falls, including those in the Tye River, are there because of a special program. Since 1958, the Washington Department of Fisheries has trapped fish below the falls. They then truck the fish above the falls and release them into the South Fork Skykomish. This happens between July and December.

About 125 miles (201 km) of roads have been built in the Tye River area. This high number of roads can sometimes harm the watershed. For example, roads can affect how water flows down slopes and cause landslides. Roads like Martin Creek and Beckler Peak roads are the most risky for streams. Also, sanding U.S. Highway 2 in winter adds fine dirt to the Tye River. Each year, 2,500 to 7,000 cubic yards of sand are used on the highway. If even a small amount of this sand gets into the river, it can damage the places where salmon lay their eggs.

River Branches

Here are some of the streams that flow into the Tye River. They are listed from the mouth of the Tye River upstream to its source. Some smaller streams that flow into these branches are also listed. Some streams do not have names. This list does not include every single stream.

• Alpine Creek
• Carroll Creek
• Martin Creek
  • Unnamed
    • Jakes Lake
  • Kelly Creek
  • Unnamed
    • Embro Lake
• Deception Creek
  • Sawyer Creek
  • Fisher Creek
    • Unnamed
      • Ptarmigan Lake
    • Fisher Lake
• Unnamed
  • Deception Lakes
• Surprise Creek
  • Scenic Screek
  • Unnamed
    • Spark Plug Lake
  • Surprise Lake
    • Glacier Lake
• Tunnel Creek