Burnt River (Oregon)

The Burnt River is a 98-mile-long (158 km)[4] tributary of the Snake River in eastern Oregon, United States. It enters the Snake near Huntington, Oregon, at a point upstream of the Powder River and downstream of the Malheur River, slightly more than 327 miles (526 km) from the Snake's confluence with the Columbia River.[7] Draining 1,090 square miles (2,800 km²), it flows predominantly west to east.[8]

Burnt River
Flowing through Burnt River Canyon
Location of the mouth of Burnt River in Oregon
Etymology	Either burned timber along its banks or burned-looking rocks along its course[1]
Location
Country	United States
State	Oregon
County	Baker
Physical characteristics
Source	Blue Mountains
• location	near Unity, Oregon
• coordinates	44°30′15″N 118°10′51″W[2]
• elevation	3,824 ft (1,166 m)[3]
Mouth	Snake River
• location	near Huntington, Oregon
• coordinates	44°21′54″N 117°13′34″W[2]
• elevation	2,073 ft (632 m)[2]
Length	98 mi (158 km)[4]
Basin size	1,090 sq mi (2,800 km2)[5]
Discharge
• average	131 cu ft/s (3.7 m3/s)[6]

The river begins at Unity Reservoir at the confluence of the North, West, Middle, and South forks of the river. The reservoir is slightly east of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest in the Blue Mountains and slightly north of Unity. Unity Lake State Recreation Site adjoins the reservoir. As it leaves the lake, the river flows under Oregon Route 245, then runs east through the upper Burnt River Valley past Hereford and Bridgeport and, through the Burnt River Canyon, to Durkee. Turning generally south at Durkee, the river runs along Interstate 84 past Weatherby, Dixie, and Lime before flowing under the Interstate and turning east again. Shortly thereafter, it passes Huntington and reaches the Snake.[8]