South Fork Bull Run River

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South Fork Bull Run River
Name origin:Possibly after cattle that escaped and ran wild along the river between 1849 and 1855 [1]
Country United States
State Oregon
County Clackamas County
Source Mount Hood National Forest
 - locationTownship Meadow, Clackamas County , Oregon
 - elevation3,260 ft (994 m) [2]
 - coordinates 45°26′02″N121°59′20″W / 45.43389°N 121.98889°W / 45.43389; -121.98889   [3]
Mouth Bull Run River
 - locationBull Run Reservoir 2, Clackamas County , Oregon
 - elevation863 ft (263 m) [3]
 - coordinates 45°27′08″N122°07′21″W / 45.45222°N 122.12250°W / 45.45222; -122.12250 Coordinates: 45°27′08″N122°07′21″W / 45.45222°N 122.12250°W / 45.45222; -122.12250   [3]
Length6 mi (10 km) [4]
Basin15.4 sq mi (40 km2) [5]
Dischargefor 0.6 miles (0.97 km) from the mouth
 - average111 cu ft/s (3 m3/s) [5]
 - max3,630 cu ft/s (103 m3/s)
 - min5.4 cu ft/s (0 m3/s)
Bull run river oregon watershed map.png
Bull Run River watershed
USA Oregon location map.svg
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Location of the mouth of the South Fork Bull Run River in Oregon

The South Fork Bull Run River is a tributary, about 6 miles (9.7 km) long, of the Bull Run River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Part of the system that provides drinking water to the city of Portland, it flows generally west through a protected part of the Mount Hood National Forest in Clackamas County. It joins the Bull Run River at Bull Run Reservoir 2, about 8 miles (13 km) from the larger stream's confluence with the Sandy River.

Bull Run River (Oregon) tributary of the Sandy River in the U.S. state of Oregon

The Bull Run River is a 21.9-mile (35.2 km) tributary of the Sandy River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Beginning at the lower end of Bull Run Lake in the Cascade Range, it flows generally west through the Bull Run Watershed Management Unit (BRWMU), a restricted area meant to protect the river and its tributaries from contamination. The river, impounded by two artificial storage reservoirs as well as the lake, is the primary source of drinking water for the city of Portland, Oregon.

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

Course

The river, which begins in Township Meadow in the Mount Hood National Forest, flows northwest and then west through Clackamas County and the Mount Hood National Forest. It receives its only named tributary, Cedar Creek, from the right before reaching a United States Geological Survey (USGS) stream gauge 0.6 miles (0.97 km) from the mouth. The South Fork joins the main stem Bull Run River at the larger stream's river mile (RM) 8 or river kilometer (RK) 13, near the midpoint of Bull Run Reservoir 2. [6]

United States Geological Survey scientific agency of the United States government

The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The USGS is a fact-finding research organization with no regulatory responsibility.

Stream gauge locations used to monitor surface water flow

A stream gauge, streamgage or gauging station is a location used by hydrologists or environmental scientists to monitor and test terrestrial bodies of water. Hydrometric measurements of water level surface elevation ("stage") and/or volumetric discharge (flow) are generally taken and observations of biota and water quality may also be made. The location of gauging stations are often found on topographical maps. Some gauging stations are highly automated and may include telemetry capability transmitted to a central data logging facility.

River mile

In the United States, a river mile is a measure of distance in miles along a river from its mouth. River mile numbers begin at zero and increase further upstream. The corresponding metric unit using kilometers is the river kilometer. They are analogous to vehicle roadway mile markers, except that river miles are rarely marked on the physical river; instead they are marked on navigation charts, and topographic maps. Riverfront properties are sometimes partially legally described by their river mile.

Discharge

Since 1974, the USGS has monitored the flow of the South Fork Bull Run River at a stream gauge 0.6 miles (0.97 km) from the mouth. The average flow between then and 2008 was 111 cubic feet per second (3.1 m3/s). This is from a drainage area of 15.40 square miles (39.89 km2). The maximum flow recorded during this period was 3,630 cubic feet per second (103 m3/s) on February 7, 1996. The minimum was 5.4 cubic feet per second (0.15 m3/s) on October 13, 1994. [5]

Watershed

The Bull Run River watershed, which includes the South Fork Bull Run River, drains 139 square miles (360 km2). [7] The basin, which is the main source of Portland's drinking water, is largely restricted to uses related to water collection, storage, treatment, and forest management. The South Fork Bull Run River basin of about 15.4 square miles (40 km2) amounts to about 11 percent of the total Bull Run River watershed, [5] which is managed by the Portland Water Bureau and the United States Forest Service. [8]

The Portland Water Bureau is the municipal water department for the city of Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. The bureau manages a water supply that comes mainly from the Bull Run River in the foothills of the Cascade Range east of the city and secondarily from the Columbia South Shore Well Field near the Columbia River. As of 2015, Nick Fish is the city commissioner in charge of the bureau, and the chief administrator is Michael Stuhr. Budgeted departmental revenues for fiscal year 2015–16 included about $157 million for charges for services.

United States Forest Service federal forest and grassland administrators

The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass 193 million acres (780,000 km2). Major divisions of the agency include the National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, Business Operations, and the Research and Development branch. Managing approximately 25% of federal lands, it is the only major national land agency that is outside the U.S. Department of the Interior.

See also

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North Fork Bull Run River river in the United States of America

The North Fork Bull Run River is a tributary, about 6 miles (10 km) long, of the Bull Run River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Part of the system that provides drinking water to the city of Portland, it flows generally south through a protected part of the Mount Hood National Forest in Multnomah County. It joins the Bull Run River at Bull Run Reservoir 1.

South Fork Clackamas River river in the United States of America

The South Fork Clackamas River is a tributary, roughly 8 miles (13 km) long, of the Clackamas River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Beginning near South Fork Mountain in the western Cascade Range, the river flows generally north through Clackamas County to meet the larger river at Big Cliff. Most of the South Fork's drainage basin lies within the Mount Hood National Forest.

Blazed Alder Creek river in the United States of America

Blazed Alder Creek is a tributary, about 4 miles (6 km) long, of the Bull Run River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Part of the system that provides drinking water to the city of Portland, it flows generally north through a protected part of the Mount Hood National Forest in Clackamas and Multnomah counties. The creek is named after a 24-inch (61 cm) blazed (marked) alder tree that was used as a benchmark during early watershed surveys.

Fir Creek (Bull Run River) river in the United States of America

Fir Creek is a tributary, about 5 miles (8 km) long, of the Bull Run River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Part of the system that provides drinking water to the city of Portland, it flows generally northwest through a protected part of the Mount Hood National Forest in Clackamas and Multnomah counties. It joins the Bull Run River at the upper end of Bull Run Reservoir 1, about 14 miles (23 km) from the larger stream's confluence with the Sandy River.

South Fork Salmon River (Oregon)

The South Fork Salmon River is a tributary of the Salmon River in Clackamas County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Arising near Plaza Lake, it flows generally northeast along the east side of Salmon Mountain to meet the Salmon 11 miles (18 km) upstream of the larger stream's confluence with the Sandy River at Brightwood.

References

  1. ↑ McArthur, p. 123
  2. ↑ Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  3. 1 2 3 "South Fork Bull Run River". Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved December 26, 2009.
  4. ↑ Oregon Atlas and Gazetteer (Map) (2008 ed.). DeLorme Mapping. § 29–30. ISBN   978-0-89933-347-2. Approximate length determined by map scale and ruler.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Water-data report 2008: South Fork Bull Run River near Bull Run, OR" (PDF). United States Geological Survey. Retrieved December 26, 2009. Stated watershed size includes only that part of the watershed above river mile  0.6 (river kilometer 1).
  6. ↑ United States Geological Survey (USGS). "United States Geological Survey Topographic Map, Hickman Butte and Brightwood quadrants". TopoQuest. Retrieved December 26, 2009.
  7. ↑ Portland Water Bureau, "Landscape Conditions", p. 52
  8. ↑ "Map of Bull Run Management Unit". Portland Water Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2009.

Works cited

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