Clackamas River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Clackamas River | |
| River | |
 Clackamas River Bridge at Oregon City
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| Name origin: Clackamas tribe | |
| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| State | Oregon |
| County | Marion and Clackamas |
| Source | Olallie Butte |
| - location | Cascade Range, Marion County, Oregon |
| - elevation | 6,500 ft (1,981 m) [1] |
| - coordinates | [2] |
| Mouth | Willamette River |
| - location | Oregon City and Gladstone, Multnomah County, Oregon |
| - elevation | 10 ft (3 m) [2] |
| - coordinates | [2] |
| Length | 85 mi (137 km) [3] |
| Basin | 940 sq mi (2,435 km²) [4] |
The Clackamas River is a tributary, about 85 miles (137 km) long, of the Willamette River in northwestern Oregon in the United States. The river drains an area of about 940 square miles (2,435 km²). In its upper reaches, it passes through mostly forested, rugged mountainous terrain, while in its lower third, it passes through agricultural and urban areas.
It rises in eastern Marion County, about 55 miles (89 km) east-southeast of Salem. The headwaters are in the Mount Hood National Forest in the Cascades, on the slopes of Olallie Butte at an elevation of about 6,000 feet (1,829 m), approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of Mt. Jefferson. It flows briefly north, then northwest through the mountains, passing through North Fork Reservoir, then Estacada and emerging from the mountains southeast of Portland. It joins the Willamette near Oregon City, and forms the boundary between Oregon City and Gladstone.
The river supports runs of Coho, Spring and Fall Chinook, and Summer and Winter steelhead. It is a popular destination for recreational fishing and whitewater rafting. It also provides hydroelectric power and drinking water for some of the Portland metropolitan area.
Regulation of the river began in 1905 with the Cazadero Dam. In 1912, the River Mill Dam intercepted wood and coarse sediment. Later dams at North Fork, Oak Grove, Stone Creek, and Timothy Lake also intercepted wood sediment on the lower river.
Contents |
[edit] Contamination
In March 2008, the United States Geological Survey released a report entitled "Pesticide Occurrence and Distribution in the Lower Clackamas River Basin, Oregon, 2000–2005." It details pesticide pollution in the lower mainstem Clackamas River, its tributaries, and in pre- and post-treatment drinking water.
| “ | In all, 63 pesticide compounds: 33 herbicides, 15 insecticides, 6 fungicides, and 9 pesticide degradates were detected in samples collected during storm and nonstorm conditions. Fifty-seven pesticides or degradates were detected in the tributaries (mostly during storms), whereas fewer compounds (26) were detected in samples of source water from the lower mainstem Clackamas River, with fewest (15) occurring in drinking water."[5] | ” |
The study concluded that "Given their frequent and widespread occurrence, especially during storms, pesticides have the potential to affect aquatic life and the quality of drinking water derived from the lower river," and laid out areas for further study.[5]
[edit] Wild and scenic
Forty-seven miles (76 km) of the Clackamas River, from Big Springs to Big Cliff, are federally protected as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (NWSRS). Of these, 20 miles (32 km) are designated as "scenic" and 27 miles (43 km) as "recreational". The protected portion of the Clackamas features five categories of resources that are considered to be "outstandingly remarkable", defined by the NWSRS as having "importance to the region or nation".[6] The five are opportunities for recreation such as white water rafting near the Portland metropolitan area; anadromous fish habitat supporting wild late winter coho, spring chinook, and winter steelhead; habitat for the federally threatened bald eagle and northern spotted owl and potential habitat for the threatened peregrine falcon; the forests of old-growth Douglas-fir along its banks; and historic importance.[6] Fourteen miles (23 km) of a tributary, the Roaring River, from its headwaters to its confluence with the Clackamas River, are also designated wild and scenic.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ DeLorme Mapping. Oregon Atlas & Gazetteer [map], 1991 edition. Section 56.
- ^ a b c Clackamas River, Oregon. United States Geological Survey (1980). Retrieved on 2008-04-16.
- ^ Clackamas River. Columbia Gazetteer of North America (2000). Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
- ^ Clackamas River. Willamette Riverkeeper. Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
- ^ a b Carpenter, Kurt D.; Sobieszczyk, Steven; Arnsberg, Andrew J.; Rinella, Frank A. (2008). Pesticide Occurrence and Distribution in the Lower Clackamas River Basin, Oregon, 2000–2005 (pdf). United States Geological Survey. Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
- ^ a b Clackamas River, Oregon. National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (2007). Retrieved on 2008-04-18.
- ^ Roaring River, Oregon. National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (2007). Retrieved on 2008-04-20.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Clackamas River Basin Council
- Student Watershed Research Project (SWRP): Clackamas River watershed map
- "Tests find some pesticides in lower Clackamas River" by Scott Learn, The Oregonian, March 17, 2008
