| Row River | |
| Name Etymology: | A dispute or row between two brothers-in-law who lived near the stream |
| Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map: | USA Oregon |
| Pushpin Map Size: | 300 |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the mouth of the Row River in Oregon |
| Subdivision Type1: | Country |
| Subdivision Name1: | United States |
| Subdivision Type2: | State |
| Subdivision Name2: | Oregon |
| Subdivision Type4: | County |
| Subdivision Name4: | Lane |
| Length: | 20miles[1] |
| Discharge1 Location: | near Cottage Grove, 5.5miles from mouth[2] |
| Discharge1 Min: | 0.2cuft/s |
| Discharge1 Avg: | 728cuft/s[3] |
| Discharge1 Max: | 21400cuft/s |
| Source1: | Cascade Range |
| Source1 Location: | Confluence of Brice Creek and Layng Creek, Lane County, Oregon |
| Source1 Coordinates: | 43.7036°N -122.7703°W |
| Source1 Elevation: | 1121feet[4] |
| Mouth: | Coast Fork Willamette River |
| Mouth Location: | near Cottage Grove, Lane County, Oregon, United States |
| Mouth Coordinates: | 43.8206°N -123.0433°W[5] |
| Mouth Elevation: | 617feet |
The Row River is a river, approximately 20miles long, in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It rises in the Cascade Range and flows into the Coast Fork Willamette River near Cottage Grove. The stream was originally known as the "East Fork Coast Fork", but was later renamed after a dispute (row) between neighbors and brothers-in-law George Clark and Joseph Southwell over "trespassing" livestock.[6] [7] Clark was killed as a result of the row.[6] The name rhymes with "cow" rather than with "slow".[6] A post office named Row River operated from 1911 to 1914 a little north of the present site of Dorena at 43.7401°N -122.8803°W.[6]
The Row River, about 20miles long, drains a portion of the Umpqua National Forest on the west face of the central Oregon Cascades between Cottage Grove and Oakridge. Its headwaters are near the unincorporated community of Disston, where Layng Creek and Brice Creek join at 43.7033°N -122.7709°W. The river flows predominately westward.[8] [9]
About 1miles below Disston, Gleason Creek enters from the right bank, and about 1miles later, the Row receives Hunt Creek from the right and passes over 15feet Wildwood Falls at 43.6998°N -122.819°W.[10] A quarter-mile (500 m) later it passes through Lasells D. Stewart Park, and 1miles later through the community of Culp Creek, where it receives Sharps Creek and then Culp Creek, both from the left bank. Turning northwards, the river receives Hawley Creek from the left just above river mile (RM) 15 or river kilometer (RK 24) and shortly thereafter flows through Dorena. At RM 14 (RK 23), Cedar Creek enters from the right. Soon the river turns sharply west, passes a United States Geological Survey (USGS) stream gauge at RM 13.2 (RK 21.2), and turns to the northwest. Over the next stretch, it receives Pitcher Creek, King Creek, and Anderson Creek, all from the left, before entering Dorena Lake at RM 11 (RK 18).[8] [9]
While part of the lake, the Row River receives Vaughn Creek from the left, Smith Creek from the right, Bluff Creek from the left, Rat Creek from the right, and Baker Creek from the left before reaching Dorena Dam and spillway at about RM 7.5 (RK 12.1). The river passes a second USGS stream gauge 5.5miles from the mouth, and soon Hann's Creek enters from the right. In its final 5miles, the river receives Mosby Creek from the left, turns northwest, flows by Cottage Grove State Airport, and passes under Interstate 5 before entering the Coast Fork Willamette River just below the larger stream's RM 21 (RK 34).[8] [9]
The USGS monitors the flow of the Row River at two gauges, one near Dorena, 13.2miles from the mouth and the other above Cottage Grove, 5.5miles from the mouth. The average flow of the creek at the Dorena gauge is 589cuft/s. This is from a drainage area of 211sqmi. The maximum flow recorded there was 33100cuft/s on December 22, 1964, and the minimum flow was 9.7cuft/s on September 4 - 6, 2003.[11] At the Cottage Grove gauge, the average flow is 728cuft/s. This is from a drainage area of 270sqmi. The maximum flow recorded there was 21400cuft/s on December 28, 1945, and the minimum flow was 0.2cuft/s from September 25 to October 7, 1958.[12]