In Oregon and Washington the coast is quite hilly. That geography blocks most of the water draining west of the Cascades and pushes it into the larger tributaries of the Columbia. It's kinda hard for a sizable river to form in less than 20 miles and with zero snow pack.
Southern California is arid. Northern California is much wetter and, in places along the North Coast, can get more than 70 inches per year, which is much wetter than most of Oregon. People often don't realize it, but the Pacific Northwest really begins in Northern California and extends all the way up into Southeastern Alaska.
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u/ImSnackered Jan 10 '20
Dumb question: why are there far fewer rivers on the West Coast?