Umpqua River, OR

The Umpqua River on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately 111 miles (179 km) long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon coast, it drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west of the Cascade Range and south of the Willamette Valley, from which it is separated by the Calapooya Mountains. The "Hundred Valleys of the Umpqua" form the heart of the timber industry of southern Oregon, generally centered on Roseburg. The river and its tributaries flow entirely within Douglas County, which encompasses most of the watershed of the river from the Cascades to the coast.

It is formed by the confluence of the North Umpqua and South Umpqua rivers, both of which rise in the Southern Oregon Cascades, approximately 6 miles (9.7 km) northwest of Roseburg. In modern terminology, the "Umpqua Valley" is sometimes taken to refer to the populated lower reaches of the South Umpqua south of Roseburg, along the route of Interstate 5. The North Umpqua rises from snowmelt and is considered one of the premier summer steelhead streams in the West. The combined river flows generally northwest through the Oregon Coast Range in a serpentine course past Umpqua and Elkton. At Elkton it turns to flow west past Scottsburg, which is located at the head of tide. It enters Winchester Bay on the Pacific near Reedsport. It receives the Smith River from the north near its estuary on Winchester Bay. The Umpqua River Light protects ships nearing the mouth of the river. The Umpqua River is one of only three major rivers in Oregon that start in or east of the Cascade Range and reach the Pacific Ocean. The others are the Rogue River (in Oregon) and Klamath River (flowing from Oregon to California).

The Umpqua River boasts some of the world's best fly-fishing, salmon fishing, and sturgeon fishing. Umpqua river fishing is also famous for its smallmouth bass, striped bass, and shad population. The river also hosts Chinook, coho, sturgeon and perch.