Arnold Lava Tube System

Last updated
Arnold Lava Tube System
Backbone Cave.jpg
Entrance to Backbone Cave
Location Deschutes County, Oregon, United States
GeologyBasalt of Lava Top Butte
DifficultyEasy to moderate
AccessVaried
Cave survey Mostly complete

The Arnold Lava Tube System (or Arnold system) is series of lava tubes in Deschutes County, Oregon, in the United States. It is located several miles southeast of the city of Bend. The system starts in the Deschutes National Forest on the northern flank of Newberry Volcano, heads northeast onto BLM land before finally terminating on private property near Horse Ridge. The system acted as a conduit for the lavas from Lava Top Butte that later fed the Badlands rootless shield. [1] The lava flow that created the Arnold system is also referred to as the basalt of Lava Top Butte and is related to the Horse Cave lobe which is a lava flow that created the Horse Lava Tube System. [2] The lava flows of Lava Top Butte, the Badlands, the Horse system, and the Arnold system all have a geologic age around 80,000 years old. [1]

Contents

History

The system got its name from Ronald Greeley of NASA who named it during his study of lava tubes for the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. [3] He based it on one of the first discoveries in the system: Arnold Ice Cave. The cave was discovered by Americans as early as 1889 and referred to as the Crook County Ice Caves. [4] Arnold Ice Cave was also the site of an early ice mining operation. [5] The ice was sold to the city of Bend and relieved the ice market which was cornered by one of the early saloon keepers. [4] At one time, a trench was chopped into the ice by Jim Anderson and Phil Coyner in the 1950s. They gained access to about a half mile of passage. [4] Years later, after the ice mining had ceased, the cave filled back up with ice, and the inner passages in the cave proved to be inaccessible to exploration attempts. [6] Many years later, in the early 1970s, Ronald Greeley, during his research on lava tubes, named one of the caves in the system. Deg Cave was named after the initials of Donald E. Gault, the Branch Chief for Planetology at NASA Ames Research Center. [7]

Though Americans lay claim to the discovery of the caves, they had been known long before to Native Americans and as early as 1370 AD. This was determined from carbon dating nearby Charcoal Cave no. 1. [4]

Conservation

The lava tubes of the Arnold system have long been used by locals for varying purposes including recreational usage. Unfortunately, a major sector of the public remains uneducated and the caves repeatedly suffer from vandalism and human-induced degradation. The Central Oregon Conservation Task Force (COCTF), under the guidance of Larry King and Garry Petrie, documented the abuse of the caves. [8] [9] Rock climbing in and around the caves marred the natural beauty with that of climbing bolts and chalk residue. [8] [10] Reports of Native American rock art being ignored by rock climbers were commonplace. [9] [11] Rock climbers used climbing chalk in and around the sensitive rock art despite posted notice signs. [9] [11] In addition to this, sign defacement, illegal fire pits, and vegetation destruction also occurred. [9] The 1997 year alone resulted in an estimated damage report of $71,000. [10] Eventually, the COCTF removed the climbing bolts from several of the caves in an effort to partially restore the caves to their original state. [8]

In the times past, other kinds of destructive behaviors affected the cave system. Bats were seen as target practice by those who entered the caves with guns. Sometimes bats were killed and their bodies left behind. [12] The caves once used to be large bat habitats, especially for the nationally listed sensitive species, the Townsend's big-eared bat. [13] The caves have been so severely impacted that bat populations in the majority of these caves have dwindled to very small amounts or being nonexistent. [13] [14]

In addition to the endangerment of the native bat species, [14] defacement of the caves is also ubiquitous. One report by a mineral and gem collector notes the removal of rare lava stalagmites from inside Wind Cave in a chamber believed to have been previously unexplored. [15] This same collector also made a habit of removing ancient artifacts from caves in the area. [15] Artifacts from which mankind could have learned about its ancient past.

Today, many people still enjoy the lava tubes and respect their beauty and the creatures that make it their home. Yet, reports still persist of vandalism to the caves. Cave gates have been broken and made useless by those persisting to enter caves during seasonal bat closures. [10] Parties continue to be a problem when individuals enter the caves and litter the ground with garbage, broken glass, and human feces.

Conservation and restoration efforts are ongoing. The United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management, in collaboration with the Oregon High Desert Grotto, maintain the cave system. [16] The goal is to preserve the natural state of caves for bat use and for safe recreational use. The Oregon High Desert Grotto is an affiliate of the National Speleological Society which shares the values of preserving these unique resources. [17] Resources of geological, biological, archaeological, and ecological value.

Bat closures

The caves of the Arnold system are closed during the hibernation period of the bats. The closure for hibernation is from November 1 to April 15. [18] Recently, gates have been installed on many of the caves in an effort to restore the bat habitats, including Bat Cave no. 1. [19]

Bat maternity colonies also exist in a few of the caves, though to what extent they still flourish is not determined. Closures for those caves with maternity colonies is between April 16 and September 30. [18] Maternity colonies have been noted in the past in Wind Cave, Bat Cave, Deg Cave, and Charlie-the-Cave. [18]

Caves

There are 20 caves in the Arnold system. Out of those 20, only 8 are longer than two to three hundred feet. [20]

Lava tube caves

The major caves of the Arnold system are in this category. Wind Cave is the longest and most difficult to traverse at 3,839 feet in slope length. [3]

Caves include: [20]

Miscellaneous caves

A few other caves exist in the system. They are mostly very small talus caves along the collapse trench walls. One other, Woolhiser Cave, appears to be a rather large surface tube and is offset from the main lava tubes. [20]

See also

Related Research Articles

Deschutes County, Oregon County in Central Oregon, United States

Deschutes County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 census, the population was 157,733. The county seat is Bend. The county was created in 1916 out of part of Crook County and was named for the Deschutes River, which itself was named by French-Canadian trappers of the early 19th century. It is the political and economic hub of Central Oregon. Deschutes comprises the Bend, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area. Deschutes is Oregon’s fastest-growing county.

Newberry National Volcanic Monument

Newberry National Volcanic Monument was designated on November 5, 1990, to protect the area around the Newberry Volcano in the U.S. state of Oregon. The monument was created within the boundaries of the Deschutes National Forest, which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service, and includes 54,822 acres of lakes, lava flows, and geologic features in central Oregon.

National Speleological Society Organization for exploration, conservation, and study of caves in the United States

The National Speleological Society (NSS) is an organization formed in 1941 to advance the exploration, conservation, study, and understanding of caves in the United States. Originally headquartered in Washington D.C., its current offices are in Huntsville, Alabama. The organization engages in the research and scientific study, restoration, exploration, and protection of caves. It has more than 10,000 members in more than 250 grottos.

Central Oregon Region in Oregon, United States

Central Oregon is a geographic region in the U.S. state of Oregon and is traditionally considered to be made up of Deschutes, Jefferson, and Crook counties. Other definitions include larger areas, often encompassing areas to the north towards the Columbia River, eastward towards Burns, or south towards Klamath Falls. These three counties have a combined population of 200,431 as of the 2010 census, with Deschutes the largest of the three counties, having approximately four times the population of the other two counties combined. As of 2015, the most populous city in the region is Bend, with an estimated 87,014 residents. As defined by the three county definition, Central Oregon covers 7,833 square miles (20,290 km2) of land. Central Oregon has had 3 record tourism years beginning in 2012. Over 2.2 million people visited Central Oregon in 2012 and again in 2013.

A Grotto is an internal organization of the National Speleological Society (NSS). They generally function as the local NSS chapter/club. Many Grottos however, operate in areas outside of their local area, with many operating in several states. Most Grottos also participate in Regions which are loose associations of Grottos. Regions are also an internal organization of the National Speleological Society.

Deschutes National Forest

The Deschutes National Forest is a United States National Forest located in parts of Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, and Jefferson counties in central Oregon. It comprises 1.8 million acres (7,300 km2) along the east side of the Cascade Range. In 1908, the Deschutes National Forest was established from parts of the Blue Mountains, Cascade, and Fremont National Forests. In 1911, parts of the Deschutes National Forest were split off to form the Ochoco and Paulina National Forests, and parts of the Cascade and Oregon National Forests were added to the Deschutes. In 1915, the lands of the Paulina National Forest were rejoined to the Deschutes National Forest. A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the forest was 348,100 acres (140,900 ha). Within the boundaries of the Deschutes National Forest is the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, containing cinder cones, lava flows, and lava tubes. The Deschutes National Forest as a whole contains in excess of 250 known caves. The forest also contains five wilderness areas, six National Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Oregon Cascade Recreation Area, and the Metolius Conservation Area. Forest headquarters are located in Bend, Oregon. There are local ranger district offices in Bend, Crescent, and Sisters.

High Desert (Oregon) a region of the U.S. state of Oregon

The Oregon high desert is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon located east of the Cascade Range and south of the Blue Mountains, in the central and eastern parts of the state. Divided into a southern region and a northern region, the desert covers most of five Oregon counties and averages 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above sea level. The southwest region is part of the Great Basin and the southeast is the lower Owyhee River watershed. The northern region is part of the Columbia Plateau, where higher levels of rainfall allow the largest industry on private land to be the cultivation of alfalfa and hay. Public land within the region is owned primarily by the Bureau of Land Management, which manages more than 30,000 square miles (78,000 km2) including five rivers designated as Wild and Scenic.

Lava River Cave

The Lava River Cave near Bend, Oregon, is part of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, which is managed by the United States Forest Service. At 5,211 feet (1,588 m) in length, the northwest section of the cave is the longest continuous lava tube in Oregon. While the cave's discovery in 1889 was officially credited to a pioneer hunter, the presence of obsidian flakes near the cave has led archaeologists to conclude that Native Americans knew about the cave long before settlers arrived in central Oregon.

Oregon Badlands Wilderness

The Oregon Badlands Wilderness is a 29,301-acre (11,858 ha) wilderness area located east of Bend in Deschutes and Crook counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. The wilderness is managed by the Bureau of Land Management as part of the National Landscape Conservation System and was created by the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on 30 March 2009.

Horse Lava Tube System

The Horse Lava Tube System is a series of lava tubes within Deschutes County, Oregon, of the United States. The system starts within the Deschutes National Forest on the northern flank of Newberry Volcano and heads north into and near the city of Bend. The system continues north to Redmond and includes the Redmond Caves. The flow diverts into the Redmond Dry Canyon, where the last known segment is known to exist; however, the basalt flow that created the system goes beyond to Crooked River Ranch and terminates just short of the Crooked River Gorge. The lava flow that created the Horse system is also referred to as the Horse Cave lobe and it filled the ancient channel of the Deschutes River which at that time flowed around the east side of Pilot Butte. The Horse Cave lobe is a part of the basalt of Lava Top Butte which also consists of the Arnold Lava Tube System, the Badlands rootless shield, and the Lava Top butte basalt. All have a geologic age around 80,000 years old.

Oregon High Desert Grotto

The Oregon High Desert Grotto is an American caving club, known as a Grotto. It is affiliated with the National Speleological Society.

Redmond Caves Cave system in Oregon, USA

The Redmond Caves are a group of six lava tubes in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. The caves are located in the city of Redmond and are jointly managed by the city and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Five of the caves are in the Redmond Caves Park and have been known locally for many years. The caves are a part of the Horse Lava Tube System and are the farthest northern extent of the system. The lava flow that created both the Horse system and the Redmond Caves continued into the Redmond Dry Canyon and terminated near Crooked River Ranch. The caves have a geologic age of about 80,000 years.

Skeleton Cave (Oregon)

Skeleton Cave is a lava tube within Deschutes County, Oregon, of the United States. The cave is within Deschutes National Forest and is located on the northern flank of Newberry Volcano near the city of Bend. The cave is between 75,000 and 400,000 years old.

The Southern California Grotto is a chapter of the National Speleological Society (NSS) based in the Greater Los Angeles area.

Derrick Cave

Derrick Cave is a lava tube located in the remote northwest corner of Lake County, Oregon. The cave is approximately 1,200 feet (370 m) long. It is up to 80 feet (24 m) wide and 46 feet (14 m) high in places. It was named in honor of H.E. Derrick, a pioneer rancher with a homestead 3 miles (4.8 km) southeast of the cave. The land around the cave is managed by the United States Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management. Derrick Cave is open to the public year-round; however, camping is no longer permitted in the cave.

Sandy Glacier Caves

The Sandy Glacier Caves are a system of glacier caves within the ice of Sandy Glacier on Mount Hood, Oregon. They are thought to be the largest glacier caves in the lower 48 states of the United States. Surveys done in 2011 and 2012 have measured the system at over 1 mile in length or about 7,000 feet. The caves formed from internal glacial melting at what are the headwaters of the Muddy Fork river. As melting continues, the caves grow larger with their entrances melting their way up the glacier's slope. Eventually it is predicted the caves will be completely gone within 7 to 10 years once the interior melting has reached the surface of the glacier.

Boyd Cave is a lava tube within Deschutes County, Oregon, of the United States. The cave is within Deschutes National Forest and is located on the northern flank of Newberry Volcano near the city of Bend.

Skylight Cave is a lava tube within Deschutes County, Oregon, of the United States. The cave is within Deschutes National Forest and is located east of Belknap Crater about ten miles west of the city of Sisters. Skylight Cave is closed to visitation from October 1 to April 29 because of hibernating Townsend's big-eared bats.

References

  1. 1 2 Donnelly-Nolan, Julie M.; Donnelly-Nolan, J. M.; Lanphere, M. A.; Ramsey, D. W. (2004). "Magnetic Excursion Recorded in Basalt at Newberry Volcano, Central Oregon". American Geophysical Union. 43: 861. Bibcode:2004AGUFMGP43B0861C.
  2. ↑ Jensen, Robert A. (2009). A field guide to Newberry Volcano, Oregon; The Geological Society of America, Field Guide 15. pp. 53–79.CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  3. 1 2 Greeley, Ronald (1971). Geology of Selected Lava Tubes in the Bend Area, Oregon, Bulletin 71 (Oregon State Dept. of Geology and Mineral Industries). p. 47.CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  4. 1 2 3 4 Larson, Charles (1982). An Introduction to Caves of the Bend Area, Guidebook of the 1982 NSS Convention. p. 74.CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  5. ↑ "Cavern Explorers". Bend Bulletin . July 17, 1958. p. 4. Retrieved 2009-08-10.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link) CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  6. ↑ "Cave Probers Busy in Area". Bend Bulletin . August 3, 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-08-10.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link) CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  7. ↑ Ronald Greeley, personal correspondence 2004
  8. 1 2 3 Johnson, Meredith Hall. NSS News Members Manual. 2008 part 2. National Speleological Society. p. 6.CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  9. 1 2 3 4 King, Larry. "Bolted Rock Climbing Routes in Oregon Lava Tubes". NSS News. 199 Volume 54 Nos. 2 & 3 February/March. pp. 33–35. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-12-28. Retrieved 2009-11-17.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  10. 1 2 3 Carlson, Ric. "Cave Violations on the Deschutes National Forest in 1997". Oregon Underground. 1998 Issue 5 June. pp. 4, 6.
  11. 1 2 Petrie, Garry. "COCTF Annual Report". Oregon Underground. 1998 Issue 5 June. pp. 7–8.[ dead link ]
  12. ↑ Anderson, Jim. "Caving in the 50's". Oregon Underground. 2009 Issue 26 Fall. pp. 6–16.
  13. 1 2 Unknown. "From the Inside; Winter Bat Survey's (Western Big-Eared Bat)". Oregon Underground. 1996 Issue 2. p. 2.
  14. 1 2 Unknown. "From the Inside; Wind Cave". Oregon Underground. 1997 Issue 3 June. p. 8.
  15. 1 2 Bristow, Bob (December 2004). "Lava Caves" (PDF). The Panorama Gem & Mineral Club Newsletter. pp. 3–5.
  16. ↑ Skeels (2009-02-13). "Oregon High Desert Grotto". Oregon High Desert Grotto. Retrieved 2009-11-15.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  17. ↑ NSS (2000). "National Speleological Society: NSS Cave Conservation Division". National Speleological Society. Archived from the original on 4 November 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2009.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  18. 1 2 3 Traditional Mountaineering (2001–2004). "USFS Road 18 Caves Environmental Assessment (EA)". Traditional Mountaineering. Retrieved 2009-11-15.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  19. ↑ "Agency Guide to Cave and Mine Gates 2009" (PDF). Batcon.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 1 November 2017.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
  20. 1 2 3 Skeels, Matt (2015). The Middle Ground - 2015 NCA Regional Guidebook. p. 112.CS1 maint: postscript (link)

Coordinates: 43°49′N121°07′W / 43.82°N 121.12°W / 43.82; -121.12

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