Waimea River (Kauai) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Waimea
Country	United States
State	Hawaii
Region	Kauai
Physical characteristics
Main source	Alaka'i Swamp (confluence of the Waiahulu and Po'omau streams) 22°05′25″N 159°39′19″W / 22.09028°N 159.65528°W / 22.09028; -159.65528
River mouth	Waimea, Kauai County, Hawaii 21°57′17″N 159°39′35″W / 21.95472°N 159.65972°W / 21.95472; -159.65972
Length	12 mi (19 km)
Basin features
Tributaries	Left: Makaweli River

The Waimea River is a major river on the island of Kauai in the U.S. state of Hawaii. At 12.1 miles (19.5 km) in length, it is one of the longest rivers in the Hawaiian Islands, draining one sixth of the total area of the island.

It rises in a wet plateau of the island's central highlands, in the Alaka'i Swamp, the largest high-elevation swamp in the world. It flows south, passing through the spectacular 3,000-foot-deep (910 m) Waimea Canyon, known as the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific."

The valleys of the Waimea River and its tributary, the Makaweli River, were once heavily populated. It enters the Pacific Ocean at Waimea, near the 1778 landing place of Captain Cook on Kauai.