Tye River (Wash.)

The Tye River is a river in the U.S. state of Washington. It rises near Stevens Pass in the Cascade Mountains and flows west, joining the Foss River to form the South Fork Skykomish River. Its waters eventually empty into Puget Sound near Everett via the Skykomish River and Snohomish River. U.S. Route 2 follows the river's entire length. A BNSF Railway line follows most of the river except near the pass where the tracks use the Cascade Tunnel. Powerlines run by the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) follow the Tye River west of Tunnel Creek. Most of the Tye River drainage basin is within Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest. The Tye River is considered the continuation of the South Fork Skykomish River above the Foss River confluence. However, the true source of the South Fork Skykomish, in terms of streamflow is not the Tye River but the Rapid River, a tributary of the Beckler River, which in turn is a tributary of the South Fork Skykomish. The Tye River is named for W.H. Tye (or William Francis Tye), a surveyor for the Great Northern Railway who laid out the rail grade to Stevens Pass.