 Bumping River is part of the Columbia River basin, being a tributary of the Naches River, which is tributary to the Yakima River, which is tributary to the Columbia River.Stockmen said that the river's name was given because during a freshet heavy boulders were carried down the river creating a rumbling vibration as the rocks kept bumping together.Variant names listed by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) for the Bumping River include Tancum River and Tanum River.