- This article is about the John Day River in eastern Oregon. There is also the John Day River in northwestern Oregon.
The
John Day River is a tributary of the
Columbia River, approximately long, in northeastern
Oregon in the
United States. Undammed along its entire length, the river is the third longest free-flowing river in the contiguous United States. There is extensive use of its waters for
irrigation. Its course furnishes habitat for diverse species, including wild
steelhead and
Chinook salmon runs. However, the steelhead populations are under federal
Endangered Species Act (ESA) protections, and the Chinook salmon have been proposed for such protection.
