The Willamette River has 13 major tributaries and drains approximately 12,000 square miles, almost one eighth of Oregon's total area. The Willamette River is the tenth largetst river in the continental U.S. in total discharge, with over 24 million acre-feet annually. The 187-mile main stem of the Willamette River extends from its source south of Eugene, northward to the Columbia River at Portland. There are approximately 16,000 total stream miles in the basin. The Willamette River basin is the fastest growing and most economically developed region of the state.

The Willamette basin has long been a place of beauty, where the meandering Willamette River and its tributaries were surrounded by diverse landscapes if wetlands, prairies, and forests. Its multiple resources and myriad uses still reflect the high quality of life for which Oregon is celebrated. The basin encompasses a variety of landscapes; rivers and streams, wetlands and riparian area, cultivated valleys, developed urban areas, and forested uplands.

~ Willamette Restoration Initiative