Pudding River
| Pudding River | |
|---|---|
Pudding River near Aurora | |
Location of the mouth of the Pudding River in Oregon | |
| Etymology | From Riviere au Boudin, given by French fur trappers in the early 19th-century to commemorate a blood pudding made from elk they shot near the river |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Marion, Clackamas |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Waldo Hills |
| • location | east of Salem, Marion County |
| • coordinates | 44°53′51″N 122°44′42″W / 44.89750°N 122.74500°W |
| • elevation | 953 ft (290 m) |
| Mouth | Molalla River |
• location | near Canby, Clackamas County |
• coordinates | 45°17′54″N 122°43′07″W / 45.29833°N 122.71861°W |
• elevation | 69 ft (21 m) |
| Length | 62 mi (100 km) |
| Basin size | 528 sq mi (1,370 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Aurora, 8.11 miles (13.05 km) from the mouth |
| • average | 1,237 cu ft/s (35.0 m3/s) |
| • minimum | 3.5 cu ft/s (0.099 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 43,700 cu ft/s (1,240 m3/s) |
The Pudding River is a 62-mile (100 km) tributary of the Molalla River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Its drainage basin covers 528 square miles (1,368 km2). Among its tributaries are Silver Creek, Butte Creek, Abiqua Creek, and the Little Pudding River.
Historically, the Pudding River flowed directly into the Willamette River, and aerial photos dating back to 1936 provide evidence of the Willamette River's confluence with the Pudding River mainstem channel. Currently, it flows directly into the Molalla River near River Mile 1 before joining the Willamette River. Anadromous and resident salmonids use the Lower Pudding River main stem and key tributaries that support the basin's ecosystems.