Chetco River
Oregon
The 44.5-mile designated segment of the Chetco is located within Curry County in southwest Oregon on the Chetco Ranger District of the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. The Chetco heads in steep, deeply dissected, sparsely vegetated, mountainous terrain within the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. Over its 55.5-mile length, the Chetco drops from 3,700 feet to sea-level as it empties into the Pacific Ocean between the towns of Brookings and Harbor, about five miles north of the California border. In the upper section, the river floor is fairly narrow and boulder-strewn with numerous falls and rapids. As the river leaves the wilderness, its character gradually changes. The terrain becomes less dissected, the river gradient gradually becomes less steep, the river bottom widens, and the surrounding hills become more densely forested.
Designated Reach
October 28, 1988. From its headwaters to the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest boundary.
Outstandingly Remarkable Values
Fish
The Chetco River fishery, typical of Pacific coastal systems, is dominated by salmon and trout. There are important populations of anadromous winter steelhead, fall Chinook salmon, and sea-run cutthroat trout. The Chetco provides excellent spawning and rearing habitat and has some of the highest ...Show More
Recreation
The Chetco River and its adjacent corridor offer a wide diversity of recreational opportunities. In winter, salmon and steelhead fishing and whitewater kayaking are the primary recreational uses; the primary fishing season for steelhead and salmon is between November and March. In summer, fi...Show More
Water Quality
The Chetco's water quality was found to be an ORV based on its striking color and clarity, its ability to clear quickly following storm events, its contribution to both recreation and fisheries, and its contribution of exceptionally pure and clean water for the domestic water supplies of both Bro...Show More