It’s easy to take the Nisqually river for granted when you live in Eatonville. For those of you, like me, that have seen it your entire life but don’t know a lot about it, here are a few facts:
• It’s 81 miles long
• Forms the Pierce/Lewis county line
• It’s fed by the Nisqually Glacier at Mount Rainier
• Runs through Ashford and Elbe before hitting the hydro electric dam in La Grande
• The river was the traditional territorial center for the Nisqually tribe
• The Nisqually watershed includes all lands which drain to the Nisqually River, including the communities of: Ashford, Elbe, Mineral, Eatonville, McKenna, Roy, Yelm, Fort Lewis, and portions of Graham, Lacey, DuPont, and Rainier.
• Where the Nisqually meets the Puget Sound — the Nisqually River Delta — is currently a National Wildlife Refuge. It’s famous for it’s 275 migratory bird species.
Photos courtesy of Rich Williams.
Click on images to enlarge.
Eatonville To Rainier 