Coos River, OR

The Coos River flows for about 5 miles (8.0 km) into Coos Bay along the Pacific coast of southwest Oregon in the United States. Formed by the confluence of its major tributaries, the South Fork Coos River and the Millicoma River, it drains an important timber-producing region of the Southern Oregon Coast Range. The course of the main stem and the major tributaries is generally westward from the coastal forests to the eastern end of Coos Bay near the city of the same name.The river is the largest tributary of the bay, which at about 10,000 acres (4,000 ha) is the largest estuary that lies entirely within Oregon. The river enters the bay about 15 miles (24 km) from where the bay—curving east, north, and west of the cities of Coos Bay and North Bend and passing by the communities of Barview and Charleston—meets the ocean. About 30 other tributaries also enter the bay directly.Most of the Coos River watershed of 730 square miles (1,900 km2) is in Coos County, but 147 square miles (380 km2) are in eastern Douglas County. Commercial forests cover about 85 percent of the basin.The river supports populations of Chinook and Coho salmon, shad, steelhead, and cutthroat trout. Since public river-bank access is limited, fishing is often done by boat.