South Fork Breitenbush River

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South Fork Breitenbush River
USA Oregon location map.svg
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Location of the mouth of the South Fork Breitenbush River in Oregon
Location
Country United States
State Oregon
County Marion
Physical characteristics
Source Russell Lake
 - location Mount Jefferson Wilderness, Willamette National Forest, Cascade Range
 - coordinates 44°42′53″N121°47′58″W / 44.71472°N 121.79944°W / 44.71472; -121.79944 [1]
 - elevation5,886 ft (1,794 m) [2]
Mouth Breitenbush River
 - location Breitenbush Hot Springs
 - coordinates 44°46′47″N121°57′53″W / 44.77972°N 121.96472°W / 44.77972; -121.96472 Coordinates: 44°46′47″N121°57′53″W / 44.77972°N 121.96472°W / 44.77972; -121.96472 [1]
 - elevation2,277 ft (694 m) [1]
Length10 mi (16 km) [3]

The South Fork Breitenbush River is a 10-mile (16 km) tributary of the Breitenbush River in the U.S. state of Oregon. [1] The river flows generally northwest from Russell Lake in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness of the Cascade Range to near Breitenbush Hot Springs, where it merges with the North Fork Breitenbush River to form the main stem. [4]

Breitenbush River river in the United States of America

The Breitenbush River is a tributary of the North Santiam River in western Oregon in the United States. It drains a rugged, forested area of the Cascade Range east of Salem.

U.S. state constituent political entity sharing sovereignty as the United States of America

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

The South Fork receives Lake Creek and Roaring Creek, both from the right, as it descends through the wilderness and the Willamette National Forest. [4] From the confluence of its forks, the main stem Breitenbush River flows about 11 miles (18 km) further to its confluence with the North Santiam River in Detroit Lake. [5]

Willamette National Forest United States national forest in Oregon

The Willamette National Forest is a National Forest located in the central portion of the Cascade Range of the U.S. state of Oregon. It comprises 1,678,031 acres (6,790.75 km2), making it one of the largest national forests. Over 380,000 acres are designated wilderness which include seven major mountain peaks. There are also several National Wild and Scenic Rivers within the forest. The forest is named for the Willamette River, which has its headwaters in the forest. The forest headquarters are located in the city of Springfield. There are local ranger district offices in McKenzie Bridge, Detroit, Sweet Home, and Westfir.

North Santiam River river in the United States of America

The North Santiam River is a 92-mile (148 km) tributary of the Santiam River in western Oregon in the United States. It drains 766 square miles (1,980 km2) of the Cascade Range on the eastern side of the Willamette Valley east of Salem.

Detroit Lake reservoir in Oregon, United States

Detroit Lake is a reservoir impounded by the Detroit Dam on the North Santiam River 46 miles (74 km) southeast of Salem, Oregon, United States. The lake is adjacent to Oregon Route 22 near the city of Detroit. This mesotrophic lake stores water for use by the city of Salem and other nearby communities.

Recreation

The Pacific Crest Trail crosses the South Fork near Russell Lake. [4] South Breitenbush Trail, which parallels the river for about 6 miles (10 km) in its upper reaches, offers opportunities for hiking and backpacking at elevations ranging from 3,050 to 5,850 feet (930 to 1,780 m) above sea level. [6]

Pacific Crest Trail long-distance hiking and equestrian trail in the USA

The Pacific Crest Trail, officially designated as the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (PCT) is a long-distance hiking and equestrian trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges, which lie 100 to 150 miles east of the U.S. Pacific coast. The trail's southern terminus is on the U.S. border with Mexico, just south of Campo, California, and its northern terminus on the Canada–US border on the edge of Manning Park in British Columbia; its corridor through the U.S. is in the states of California, Oregon, and Washington.

South Breitenbush Gorge Trail, along the river closer to its confluence with the main stem, passes through older Douglas-fir and western hemlock forest. This trail, ranging in elevation from 2,300 to 2,800 feet (700 to 850 m), is 2.5 miles (4.0 km) long. A side trail leads to a narrow canyon, about 300 feet (91 m) long, where the river flows between walls of basalt. [7]

Main stem final large channel of a riverine system

In hydrology, a main stem is "the primary downstream segment of a river, as contrasted to its tributaries". Water enters the main stem from the river's drainage basin, the land area through which the main stem and its tributaries flow. A drainage basin may also be referred to as a watershed or catchment.

<i>Tsuga heterophylla</i> species of plant

Tsuga heterophylla, the western hemlock or western hemlock-spruce, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma County, California.

Basalt A magnesium- and iron-rich extrusive igneous rock

Basalt is a mafic extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of magnesium-rich and iron-rich lava exposed at or very near the surface of a terrestrial planet or a moon. More than 90% of all volcanic rock on Earth is basalt. Basalt lava has a low viscosity, due to its low silica content, resulting in rapid lava flows that can spread over great areas before cooling and solidification. Flood basalt describes the formation in a series of lava basalt flows.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "South Fork Breitenbush River". Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  2. ↑ Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  3. ↑ "Conservation and Outdoor Recreation: Oregon Segments". National Park Service. February 27, 2009. Retrieved May 3, 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 Oregon Atlas & Gazetteer. Freeport, Maine: DeLorme Mapping. 1991. p. 56. ISBN   0-89933-235-8.
  5. ↑ United States Geological Survey (USGS). "United States Geological Survey Topographic Map". TopoQuest. Retrieved May 4, 2012. The map quadrangles include river mile (RM) markers along the Breitenbush River.
  6. ↑ "South Breitenbush Trail #3375". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
  7. ↑ "South Breitenbush Gorge Trail #3366". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved May 4, 2012.
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