Hamma Hamma River
| Hamma Hamma River | |
|---|---|
Location of the mouth of the Hamma Hamma River in Washington | |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Washington |
| County | Mason |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Olympic Mountains |
| • coordinates | 47°34′1″N 123°19′5″W / 47.56694°N 123.31806°W[1] |
| Mouth | Hood Canal |
• coordinates | 47°32′44″N 123°2′30″W / 47.54556°N 123.04167°W[1] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | near Eldon[2] |
| • average | 364.4 cu ft/s (10.32 m3/s)[2] |
| • minimum | 39 cu ft/s (1.1 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 6,010 cu ft/s (170 m3/s) |
The Hamma Hamma River is a river on the Olympic Peninsula in the U.S. state of Washington. It rises near Mount Washington in the Olympic Mountains within the Olympic National Park and drains to Hood Canal and thence to the Pacific Ocean.
The name Hamma Hamma comes from a Twana village once located at the river's mouth and called Hab'hab, referring to a reed that grows along the river's banks.[3]
At its mouth, the river splits off into to two channels which feed into the Hood Canal and create a marsh. There are two bridges that cross these parts and marsh called the North and South Hamma Hamma Bridges respectively.[4]
Near the river, you can find the Hamma Hamma Balds Natural Area Preserve.
Geology
The Hamma Hamma River begins deep within the Olympic Mountains, cutting through steep ridges that rise dramatically from sea level to over 6,000 feet. Flowing northeast between Mt. Ellinor and Mt. Washington, it carves one of the few major valleys that breach the mountain front before descending toward Hood Canal.[5]
The river’s course is shaped by parallel ridges that direct its drainage and that of nearby streams like the North Fork Skokomish. Glacial activity during the Pleistocene greatly altered its path, leaving behind gravel plains, marshes, and smaller creeks that now feed into it as it winds toward the sea.[5]
See also
- List of Washington rivers
- Eldon, Washington
- Hamma Hamma River Bridges
- Hamma Hamma Balds Natural Area Preserve
References
- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hamma Hamma River
- ^ a b "Historical data, water years 1951-1971, for USGS gage 12054500, Hamma Hamma River near Eldon, WA". USGS. Retrieved 3 August 2009.
- ^ Phillips, James W. (1971). Washington State Place Names. University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-95158-3.
- ^ https://historicbridges.org/washington/us101hammahammariverbridgenorth/wa0451data.pdf
- ^ a b https://intranet.ess.uw.edu/content/people/student_publications_files/robinson--john-w/Robinson_1938.pdf Retrieved 2025-11-10
External links