Rogue Valley

Last updated
Rogue Valley
Valley
RogueValleyFromSouth.jpg
The Rogue Valley and Ashland from the south
Map of Oregon highlighting Rogue Valley.png
Location in Oregon
Country United States
Region Southern Oregon
Principal communities Medford
Ashland
Grants Pass
Website www.rvcog.org

The Rogue Valley is a valley region in southwestern Oregon in the United States. Located along the middle Rogue River and its tributaries in Josephine and Jackson counties, the valley forms the cultural and economic heart of Southern Oregon near the California border. The largest communities in the Rogue Valley are Medford, Ashland and Grants Pass. The most populated part of the Rogue Valley is not along the Rogue proper, but along the smaller Bear Creek tributary.

Contents

The valley forms a relatively isolated enclave west of the Cascade Range along the north side of the Siskiyou Mountains. It is separated from the nearby coast by a high section of the Southern Oregon Coast Range. The valley is characterized by a mild climate that allows a long growing season, especially for many varieties of fruits, nuts and herbs. A regional manufacturing industry is centered in Medford, the most highly populated area of the valley. In recent years the valley has emerged as a wine-growing region and it is the location of the Rogue Valley AVA (American Viticultural Area). The mild climate and relative isolation have made the valley a popular retirement destination. The community of Ashland is famous for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and Mount Ashland Ski Area. Interstate 5 follows the valley through Ashland, Medford and Grants Pass.

History

The central Rogue Valley Rogue Valley.jpg
The central Rogue Valley

In the early 19th century the first European Americans began to pass through the valley, inhabited by the Shasta, Takelma, and Rogue River Athabaskan tribes of Native Americans. The early fur traders named this river the "River of the Rogues". White settlers began to arrive in the valley after the Donation Land Act, which allocated 640 acres (2.6 km2) of land to each married couple. Between 1836 and 1856, the valley was the scene of a series of bloody conflicts between European Americans and the Rogue River tribes. In 1850 gold was discovered [1] on the Rogue River; the next year gold was discovered in the nearby mountains. Early mining activity was centered on the lower Rogue River, on Althouse Creek in Josephine County, and near the now-restored town of Jacksonville, west of Medford. During the gold rush some $70 million was extracted from the area.

Climate

Medford
Climate chart (explanation)
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Metric conversion
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Grants Pass
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Ashland
Climate chart (explanation)
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Average max. and min. temperatures in °F
Precipitation totals in inches
Metric conversion
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Precipitation totals in mm
Snow in Phoenix. PhoenixOregonSnowExit24Interstate5.jpg
Snow in Phoenix.

Unlike the rest of Western Oregon, because of the rain shadow effect resulting from the close range of the Cascades and Siskiyous, the Rogue Valley is relatively dry when compared to the coast and Portland. Most of the valley has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate. Winters are chilly and rainy, but relatively dry and slightly colder when compared to the rest of western Oregon, with frequent fog, and occasional snow. Summers are hot and sunny, but dry, with low humidity. Temperatures surpass 100 °F or 37.8 °C, on an average of 10–15 days during the summer.[ citation needed ] Because of the combination of heat and dry air, wildfires are a problem during the summer, and frequently, smoke will fill up the valley for weeks, reducing visibility and air quality. On average, the first frost occurs October 22, and the last on May 6.[ citation needed ] The Rogue Valley is in USDA plant hardiness zones 7–9. [2] Sub-zero temperatures are extremely rare in the valley; the Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport has not recorded such extreme cold weather since December 21, 1990, when the temperature dropped to −2 °F or −18.9 °C. [3]

Due to the valley's generally mild climate, it is used as a region to grow pears, and there are multiple vineyards. Medford has, on average, 175 sunny days per year, compared to 80 on average for the Willamette Valley, and 65 on average for the coast.[ citation needed ]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashland, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

Ashland is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. It lies along Interstate 5 approximately 16 miles (26 km) north of the California border and near the south end of the Rogue Valley. The city's population was 21,360 at the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jackson County, Oregon</span> County in Oregon, United States

Jackson County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 223,259. The county seat is Medford. The county is named for Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Point, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grants Pass, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

Grants Pass is a city in and the county seat of Josephine County, Oregon, United States. The city is located on Interstate 5, northwest of Medford, along the Rogue River. The population is 39,194 according to the 2020 census, making it the 15th most populous city in Oregon.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siskiyou Mountains</span> Mountain range in Oregon and California, US

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The Southern Oregon AVA is an American Viticultural Area which lies in Southern Oregon, United States. The Southern Oregon AVA was established in 2005 and was created to include the land of two smaller AVAs: the Rogue Valley AVA and the Umpqua Valley AVA. Southern Oregon AVA was established to allow the two principal winegrowing regions in the southern part of the state to market themselves jointly. This creation of a "super-AVA" is a departure from the trend in the Willamette Valley AVA or northern Oregon of establishing smaller AVAs specific to a particular locale's climate or soil conditions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rogue Valley AVA</span> American Viticultural Area in southern Oregon

The Rogue Valley AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in southern Oregon. The federal government approved this appellation in 1991. It is entirely contained within the larger Southern Oregon AVA and includes the drainage basin of the Rogue River and several tributaries, including the Illinois River, the Applegate River, and Bear Creek. Most wineries in the region are found in the valleys formed by one of these three tributaries, rather than along the Rogue River itself. The region is 70 miles (113 km) wide by 60 miles (97 km) long ; there are fewer than 20 wineries with only 1,100 acres (450 ha) planted. Each river valley has a unique terroir, and grows different varieties of grapes. Overall, however, this region is the warmest and driest of Oregon's wine-growing regions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rogue River–Siskiyou National Forest</span> United States forest in Oregon and California

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Little Butte Creek is a 17-mile-long (27 km) tributary of the Rogue River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Its drainage basin consists of approximately 354 square miles (917 km2) of Jackson County and another 19 square miles (49 km2) of Klamath County. Its two forks, the North Fork and the South Fork, both begin high in the Cascade Range near Mount McLoughlin and Brown Mountain. They both flow generally west until they meet near Lake Creek. The main stem continues west, flowing through the communities of Brownsboro, Eagle Point, and White City, before finally emptying into the Rogue River about 3 miles (5 km) southwest of Eagle Point.

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References

  1. "Rich Gulch". Southern Oregon History Revised. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  2. The Associated Press. "Know your Hardiness Zone Map". MailTribune.com.
  3. "Weather History for Medford, OR – Weather Underground".

42°26′24″N122°55′34″W / 42.440124°N 122.926154°W / 42.440124; -122.926154