Little River (Coast Fork Willamette River tributary)

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Little River
Country United States
State Oregon
County Lane
Source Calapooya Mountains
 - locationnear the border with Douglas County
 - elevation2,333 ft (711 m) [1]
 - coordinates 43°32′33″N123°01′07″W / 43.54250°N 123.01861°W / 43.54250; -123.01861   [2]
Mouth Coast Fork Willamette River
 - locationConfluence with Big River; near Black Butte
 - elevation984 ft (300 m) [2]
 - coordinates 43°35′44″N123°04′08″W / 43.59556°N 123.06889°W / 43.59556; -123.06889 Coordinates: 43°35′44″N123°04′08″W / 43.59556°N 123.06889°W / 43.59556; -123.06889   [2]
USA Oregon location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of the mouth of the Little River in Oregon

The Little River is a tributary of the Coast Fork Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Rising along the Calapooya Divide near the border between Lane and Douglas counties, it flows generally west-northwest to meet the Big River. The combined Big and Little rivers form the Coast Fork near Black Butte. [2] [3] The butte is a dark-colored mountain, the site of a former mine, and the site of a former post office. [4]

Coast Fork Willamette River river in the United States of America

The Coast Fork Willamette River is one of two forks that unite to form the Willamette River in western Oregon in the United States. It is about 40 miles (64 km) long, draining an area of the mountains at the south end of the Willamette Valley south of Eugene.

U.S. state constituent political entity of the United States

In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are currently 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory and shares its sovereignty with the federal government. Due to this shared sovereignty, Americans are citizens both of the federal republic and of the state in which they reside. State citizenship and residency are flexible, and no government approval is required to move between states, except for persons restricted by certain types of court orders. Four states use the term commonwealth rather than state in their full official names.

Oregon State of the United States of America

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region on the West Coast of the United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. The parallel 42° north delineates the southern boundary with California and Nevada. Oregon is one of only three states of the contiguous United States to have a coastline on the Pacific Ocean.

Contents

On older maps, Little River appears as a tributary of Garoutte Creek, also known as Saroutte Creek. [3] However, in 1988 the United States Board on Geographic Names renamed the lower reach of Garoutte Creek so that it became part of Little River. The upper reach of Garoutte Creek thus became a tributary of Little River. [2]

Garoutte Creek river in the United States of America

Garoutte Creek is a tributary of the Little River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Rising along the Calapooya Divide near the border between Lane and Douglas counties, it flows generally northeast to meet the larger stream near Black Butte. The butte is a dark-colored mountain, the site of a former mine, and the site of a former post office. Little River joins Big River a few miles downstream to form the Coast Fork Willamette River.

United States Board on Geographic Names US geographic naming government agency

The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal government of the United States.

Named tributaries of Little River from source to mouth are Weyerhaeuser Creek, which enters from the right; Cinnabar Creek, left; Trail Creek, right; Garoutte and Blood creeks, left; and Dennis Creek, right. [3]

River mouth end of a river

A river mouth is the part of a river where the river debouches into another river, a lake, a reservoir, a sea, or an ocean.

Post office

The Black Butte Mine, developed by S. P. Garoutte in the 1890s, led to the establishment of a post office at Black Butte. William Harris was the first postmaster, and the office, established in 1898, was known by his last name, Harris. The name was changed in 1901 to Blackbutte. It operated under that name until permanently closing in 1957. [4]

Pollution

In the 21st century, the former mine and the area around it have become a Superfund site. The Environmental Protection Agency is concerned about methylmercury contamination of streams including Garoutte Creek, the Little River, and the Coast Fork, as well as the Cottage Grove Reservoir on the Coast Fork. During its heyday, the mine was the second-largest mercury producer in Oregon. [5] From 1900 to 1957, it yielded a total of 16,904 flasks of elemental mercury; equivalent to about 13 million pounds (5,900,000 kg). [5]

Methylmercury cation

Methylmercury (sometimes methyl mercury) is an organometallic cation with the formula [CH3Hg]+. It is the major source of organic mercury for all humans. It is a bioaccumulative environmental toxicant.

Mercury (element) Chemical element with atomic number 80

Mercury is a chemical element with symbol Hg and atomic number 80. It is commonly known as quicksilver and was formerly named hydrargyrum. A heavy, silvery d-block element, mercury is the only metallic element that is liquid at standard conditions for temperature and pressure; the only other element that is liquid under these conditions is the halogen bromine, though metals such as caesium, gallium, and rubidium melt just above room temperature.

See also

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Beaver Creek (Crooked River)

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North Fork Umatilla River river in the United States of America

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South Fork Umatilla River river in the United States of America

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Black Butte was an unincorporated community in Lane County, Oregon, United States. It was located near Black Butte, a dark-colored mountain at the headwaters of the Coast Fork Willamette River, about 20 miles south of Cottage Grove, at the confluence of Garoutte Creek and the Little River. The Black Butte Mine, which operated from the 1890s to the 1960s, was one of the largest mercury mines in the state. Mercury contamination from abandoned mine tailings continues to be a health concern in the area, including mercury-contaminated runoff from Furnace Creek that has made its way to Cottage Grove Lake.

Deadwood Creek (Oregon) river in the United States of America

Deadwood Creek is a tributary of Lake Creek in the Siuslaw River basin in Lane County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Beginning near Taylor Butte in the Central Oregon Coast Range, it meanders generally southwest through the Siuslaw National Forest to meet the larger creek at the rural community of Deadwood. This is 5 miles (8 km) from Lake Creek's confluence with the river near Swisshome and 34 miles (55 km) by water from the Siuslaw River's mouth on the Pacific Ocean at Florence.

Lost Creek (South Fork Little Butte Creek)

Lost Creek is a tributary of the south fork of Little Butte Creek in Jackson County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Flowing north from near Lost Lake east of Medford, it enters the larger stream about 4 miles (6 km) upstream of the rural community of Lake Creek and about 20 miles (32 km) from the confluence of Little Butte Creek with the Rogue River. The only named tributary of Lost Creek is Coon Creek, which enters from the left.

Cavitt Creek river in the United States of America

Cavitt Creek is a tributary of the Little River in Douglas County in the U.S. state of Oregon. From its source near Red Butte, the creek flows generally west then north through the Umpqua National Forest of the Cascade Range before entering the river about 1.5 miles (2.4 km) upstream of the rural community of Peel and 7 miles (11 km) above the Little River's mouth on the North Umpqua River.

References

  1. ↑ Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Little River". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey (USGS). November 28, 1980. Retrieved November 27, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 "United States Topographic Map". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved November 28, 2015– via ACME Mapper.
  4. 1 2 McArthur, Lewis A.; McArthur, Lewis L. (2003) [1928]. Oregon Geographic Names (7th ed.). Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. pp. 86, 393. ISBN   0-87595-277-1.
  5. 1 2 "Optimization Review: Black Butte Mine Superfund Site, Lane County, Oregon" (PDF). Environmental Protection Agency. July 13, 2012. pp. 6–7. Retrieved November 28, 2015.


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