Bear Creek (Lincoln County, Oregon)

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Bear Creek
Drift Creek (Bear Creek) Covered Bridge, near Lincoln City, OR (7238315602).jpg
Covered bridge over Bear Creek, built from former Drift Creek Bridge timbers
USA Oregon location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location of the mouth of Bear Creek in Oregon
Location
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
County Lincoln
Physical characteristics
Sourcenear Cougar Mountain
 - location Central Oregon Coast Range, Siuslaw National Forest
 - coordinates 44°57′50″N123°51′12″W / 44.96389°N 123.85333°W / 44.96389; -123.85333 [1]
 - elevation1,445 ft (440 m) [2]
Mouth Salmon River
 - locationnear Rose Lodge
 - coordinates 45°00′12″N123°54′13″W / 45.00333°N 123.90361°W / 45.00333; -123.90361 Coordinates: 45°00′12″N123°54′13″W / 45.00333°N 123.90361°W / 45.00333; -123.90361 [1]
 - elevation82 ft (25 m) [1]

Bear Creek is a tributary of the Salmon River in the Central Oregon Coast Range in the United States. It begins in the Siuslaw National Forest and flows generally northwest through Lincoln County to meet the river between Rose Lodge and Otis. Named tributaries from source to mouth are McMullen, Tarry, Southman, and Morton creeks. [3]

Salmon River (Lincoln County, Oregon) river in Lincoln County, Oregon

The Salmon River flows from the Central Oregon Coast Range to the Pacific Ocean coast of northwest Oregon in the United States. About 24 miles (39 km) long, it begins and ends in Lincoln County but also flows briefly through western Polk and southern Tillamook counties. Much of its course lies within the Siuslaw National Forest.

Central Oregon Coast Range

The Central Oregon Coast Range is the middle section of the Oregon Coast Range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, and located in the west-central portion of the state of Oregon, United States roughly between the Salmon River and the Umpqua River and the Willamette Valley and the Pacific Ocean. This approximately 90-mile (140 km) long mountain range contains mountains as high as 4,097 feet for Marys Peak. Portions of the range are inside the Siuslaw National Forest and three wilderness areas exist as well: Drift Creek Wilderness, Cummins Creek Wilderness and Rock Creek Wilderness.

Siuslaw National Forest

The Siuslaw National Forest is a national forest in western Oregon in the United States. Established in 1908, the Siuslaw is made up of a wide variety of ecosystems, ranging from coastal forests to sand dunes.

A covered bridge over Bear Creek is made from timbers salvaged from the former Drift Creek Bridge, also in Lincoln County. In 1988, county officials closed the old bridge after rot and insect damage made it unsafe. [4] They had the bridge dismantled 1997 and gave the timbers to Laura and Kerry Sweitz, who owned land along Bear Creek 8 miles (13 km) north of the Drift Creek site. In 2000, the Sweitz family rebuilt the bridge and granted a permanent public easement for its use. [4] The bridge carries North Rogers Lane, off Bear Creek Road, over the creek. [5]

Covered bridge wooden bridge with protective cover

A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof, decking, and siding, which in most covered bridges, create an almost complete enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden structural members from the weather. Uncovered wooden bridges typically have a lifespan of only 20 years because of the effects of rain and sun, but a covered bridge could last 100 years.

Drift Creek Bridge former bridge in Lincoln County, Oregon, USA

The Drift Creek Bridge is a covered bridge in Lincoln County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Built in 1914, the structure originally carried Drift Creek County Road over Drift Creek. The creek flows into Siletz Bay of the Pacific Ocean south of Lincoln City.

See also

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Drift Creek (Siletz Bay) river in the United States of America

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

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Lost Creek (South Fork Little Butte Creek)

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Rocky Creek (Oregon) short coastal stream in Lincoln County in the U.S. state of Oregon

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Pass Creek (Elk Creek) river in the United States of America

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Lost Creek (Middle Fork Willamette River)

Lost Creek is a tributary of the Middle Fork Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It begins in the Cascade Range foothills between Dorena Lake and Lookout Point Lake and flows generally north to meet the river downstream of Lowell. Along the way, it passes by the rural community of Dexter, then under Oregon Route 58, and through part of Elijah Bristow State Park. Named tributaries of Lost Creek from source to mouth are Guiley, Gossage, Carr, Middle, Anthony, and Wagner creeks.

Horse Creek (McKenzie River)

Horse Creek is a tributary of the McKenzie River in near the unincorporated community of McKenzie Bridge in Lane County in the U.S. state of Oregon. It begins in the Cascade Range in the Three Sisters Wilderness of the Willamette National Forest. Its headwaters are near the Deschutes County border and the Pacific Crest Trail. It flows generally northwest to meet the river about 65 miles (105 km) upstream of the McKenzie's confluence with the Willamette River.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Bear Creek". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. November 28, 1980. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  2. Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  3. "United States Topographic Map". United States Geological Survey. Retrieved March 14, 2016 via Acme Mapper.
  4. 1 2 "Drift Creek (Bear Creek) Covered Bridge" (PDF). Oregon Department of Transportation. Retrieved March 14, 2016.
  5. "Map". Google. 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2016.