river in west-central Washington, U.S. It rises in the Cascade Range east of Seattle at the juncture of North Fork, Middle Fork, and South Fork and flows 45 miles (72 km) west and northwest, joining the Skykomish River to form the Snohomish River near Monroe. Snoqualmie Falls (268 feet 【82 metres】 high) is the site of a hydroelectric power plant. The place name is that of an Indian tribe that once dominated the region; the name is Nisqually and means “people of little account, but strong.”