High Desert (Oregon)
High Desert (Oregon) | |
---|---|
"Oregon Outback" and "Great Sandy Desert" | |
Length | 130 mi (210 km) |
Width | 200 mi (320 km) |
Geography | |
Location | Oregon, United States |
Population centers | Bend, Burns, Redmond, Lakeview, and Prineville |
Borders on | Cascade Range (west) Blue Mountains (north) Idaho border (east) Nevada border (south) |
Coordinates | 43°18′58″N 118°47′03″W / 43.316053°N 118.78418°W |
The Oregon High Desert is a region of the U.S. state of Oregon located east of the Cascade Range and south of the Blue Mountains, in the central and eastern parts of the state. Divided into a southern region and a northern region, the desert covers most of five Oregon counties and averages 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above sea level. The southwest region is part of the Great Basin and the southeast is the lower Owyhee River watershed. The northern region is part of the Columbia Plateau, where higher levels of rainfall allow the largest industry on private land to be the cultivation of alfalfa and hay. Public land within the region is owned primarily by the Bureau of Land Management, which manages more than 30,000 square miles (78,000 km2) including five rivers designated as Wild and Scenic.
While the high desert is somewhat dry, it is only arid relative to Western Oregon. The region averages 15 inches (380 mm) of annual rainfall; the Alvord Desert, however, receives only 7 inches (180 mm) of rain each year. Contrary to its name, most of the high desert is not dry enough to truly qualify as desert, and biologically, most of the region is classified as shrubland or steppe.
At 9,733 feet (2,967 m) above sea level, the summit of
The climate of the high desert provides habitat for mammals such as pronghorn, coyote, mule deer, black-tailed jackrabbit, and cougar. Birds common in the region include sage-grouse, California quail, and prairie falcon. The western juniper is the most common tree in the region, and big sagebrush and common woolly sunflower are the region's most widespread plants.
Geography
The high desert of Oregon is located in the central and southeastern parts of the state. It covers approximately 24,000 square miles (62,000 km2), extending approximately 200 miles (320 km) from central Oregon east to the Idaho border and 130 miles (210 km) from central Oregon south to the Nevada border.[1] Most of the region is located in Crook, Deschutes, Harney, Lake, and Malheur counties.[1][2][3]
The high desert is named as such for its generally high elevation, averaging about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) across the region.
A number of rivers flow through the high desert region. These include the
Land use
The largest landowner in eastern Oregon is the U.S. government. The Bureau of Land Management administers over 13.6 million acres (55,000 km2) in the bureau's Burns, Lakeview, Prineville, and Vale districts, most of which are in the state's high desert country.[13] In addition, Congress has designated specific sections of the Crooked, Deschutes, Donner und Blitzen, Malheur, and Owyhee rivers as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.[14]
Agriculture is the largest industry in the region. Livestock ranches utilize large tracts of private and government land for grazing. Ranchers raise
Geology
Between 17 and 15 million years ago,
After the original eruptions subsided, the Earth's crust began to stretch and crack. Between 15 and 2 million years ago, this created hundreds of new volcanoes that added additional layers of lava on top of the Columbia River Basalt and left behind hundreds of
During the last 2 million years, a series of ice ages altered the landscape. As each ice sheet melted, runoff and increased rainfall filled many of the region's closed basins, forming large
Climate
Annual
The majority of high desert areas receive most precipitation in the winter months, decreasing steadily through late summer into the fall. Some areas in the eastern and southern parts of the region receive peak precipitation in the late spring and early summer. For example, at Hart Mountain in Lake County, the wettest time of the year is March through June. The driest months throughout Oregon's high desert are July through September, though there are still isolated thunderstorms during that period.[21][15]
City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Annual Max/Min |
Citation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bend | 40/23 | 44/25 | 51/27 | 57/30 | 65/36 | 73/41 | 81/46 | 81/46 | 72/39 | 62/32 | 46/28 | 40/23 | 102 / -24 | [21] |
Burns | 35/14 | 40/19 | 49/25 | 57/29 | 66/36 | 75/41 | 85/46 | 84/44 | 75/35 | 62/26 | 45/21 | 35/15 | 102 / -28 | [15] |
Lakeview | 39/21 | 42/24 | 48/28 | 56/32 | 65/38 | 74/44 | 84/55 | 83/48 | 75/42 | 63/33 | 46/26 | 39/21 | 102 / -20 | [22] |
Prineville | 42/21 | 48/24 | 54/25 | 61/28 | 69/34 | 77/40 | 86/43 | 86/42 | 78/35 | 66/29 | 49/25 | 42/21 | 107 / -34 | [23] |
History
Native peoples and Euro-American settlement
The indigenous people of the high desert region are the
Throughout the 18th century and into the early 19th century, the Northern Paiute had numerous conflicts with tribes who lived to the northwest. The
Settlers who had traveled to Oregon along the Oregon Trail began to live in the high desert region in the 1850s and 1860s after they had begun farming and logging in the Willamette Valley and other lands in western Oregon. Thousands of these emigrants reached the area from the west, crossing the Cascade Range to make land claims in eastern Oregon.[31] The high desert area was settled by Euro-Americans later than western Oregon was in part because of Elijah White's failure to find a pass east through the Cascades.[32] Once they had claimed more land, pioneers and members of the American government negotiated treaties with natives in the high desert and elsewhere in Oregon, often forcing them off their native lands and onto reservations.[33]
In 1866, American soldiers established Camp Warner, a military camp near present-day Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge in Lake County. They were sent from Boise, Idaho, to build a military camp in the high desert, and they built it east of the Warner Lakes because they doubted that they could cross the series of wetlands. Maj. Gen. George Crook disapproved of the soldiers' decision. He built a road across the lakes and moved the camp to the western side of them.[34]
Of the four major cities in the high desert,
In 1878, the
Euro-American settlers created the 13,736-acre (5,559 ha) Burns Paiute Reservation, just north of Burns, in 1897.[28][41] The reservation was established in 1972. It is home to the descendants of the Wada Tika band of Northern Paiutes. As of 1992, it had 356 members.[28][42][43] As of 1980, there were 57 descendants of the Northern Paiute tribe living outside of the reservation.[44]
Place names
In the 19th century, Oregon's high desert area was called the Great Sandy Desert (a
Flora and fauna
The
Hundreds of animal species are found in Oregon's high desert environment. In the Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge alone, there are over 300, including 239 bird species and 42 mammals.[51][52] Throughout the high desert region, mule deer, pronghorn, coyotes, American badgers, and black-tailed jackrabbits are common. Elk, bighorn sheep, cougars, bobcats, gray foxes, red foxes, North American porcupines, and North American beavers are also found in some parts of the high desert.[3][53]
Smaller mammals native to the area include
Common high desert birds include sage-grouse, quail, and sage thrasher. Near high desert lakes and in riparian areas, there are American dusky flycatchers, yellow warblers, orange-crowned warblers, house wrens, spotted towhees, Brewer's blackbirds, western meadowlarks, swallows, and nighthawks. Mountain chickadees, Cassin's finches, black-headed grosbeaks, green-tailed towhees, yellow-rumped warblers, MacGillivray's warblers, mountain bluebirds, common ravens, northern flickers, and white-headed woodpeckers are common in parts of the region. Birds of prey include owls, hawks, prairie falcons, golden eagles, and bald eagles.[56][57][58]
See also
- Columbia Plateau
- Northern Basin and Range (ecoregion)
- Oregon High Desert Grotto
References
- ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey. "Oregon topographic map". ACME Mapper 2.0. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
- ^ a b c Brogan, pp. 267–269
- ^ a b Jackman and Long, p. 2
- ^ Carmichael, Suzanne (June 12, 1994). "Oregon's High Desert". The New York Times. New York, New York. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
- ^ McArthur, p. 912
- ^ "Basin and Range province". National Park Service. Archived from the original on November 11, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
- ^ a b "Columbia Plateau province". National Park Service. Archived from the original on November 11, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
- ^ a b "Pluvial Lakes: Oregon's Inland Seas", Oregon: A Geologic History
- ^ "High Desert". Oregon Historical Society. Archived from the original on July 12, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2015.
- ^ Brogan, pp. 14–15
- ^ "Owyhee Wild and Scenic River". Bureau of Land Management. Archived from the original on August 9, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
- ^ Jackman and Long, p. 347
- ^ "District Offices". Bureau of Land Management. Archived from the original on November 13, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
- ^ "Designated Wild and Scenic Rivers - Oregon". National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, Interagency Wild and Scenic Rivers Council. Archived from the original on November 15, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Taylor, George. "Climate of Harney County". Oregon State University, Oregon Climate Service. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
- ^ "Growing regions in Oregon". Oregon Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on November 8, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
- ^ "Columbia River Basalt: The Yellowstone Hot Spot Arrives in a Flood of Fire", Oregon: A Geologic History
- ^ Matt Skeels. "The Caves of Central Oregon". Oregon High Desert Grotto. Archived from the original on October 12, 2013. Retrieved July 6, 2013.
- ^ "Rift Volcanoes: Aftermath of the Yellowstone Hot Spot", Oregon: A Geologic History
- ^ "High Desert Volcanoes: Sleeping Giants of Eastern Oregon", Oregon: A Geologic History
- ^ a b c Taylor, George. "Climate of Deschutes County". Oregon State University, Oregon Climate Service. Archived from the original on May 15, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
- ^ a b Taylor, George. "Climate of Lake County". Oregon State University, Oregon Climate Service. Archived from the original on February 15, 2006. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
- ^ Taylor, George. "Climate of Crook County". Oregon State University, Oregon Climate Service. Archived from the original on June 12, 2010. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
- ^ Gall, p. 424
- ^ a b "Oregon History: Great Basin". Oregon Blue Book. Oregon State Archives. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
- ^ Pritzker, pp. 223, 225
- ^ Allen, Cain (2005). "Paiute Water Basket". Historical Records. Oregon Historical Society. Archived from the original on February 2, 2014. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
- ^ a b c "Burns Paiute Tribe". Oregon Blue Book. Oregon State Archives. Archived from the original on October 25, 2018. Retrieved November 19, 2011.
- ^ Pritzker, p. 224
- ^ a b Ruby and Brown, pp. 158, 263
- ^ "Oregon History: Spread of Settlement". Oregon Blue Book. Oregon State Archives. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
- ^ Bancroft and Victor, p. 484
- ^ "Oregon History: Indian Wars". Oregon Blue Book. Oregon State Archives. Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved November 20, 2011.
- ^ McArthur, p. 152
- ^ McArthur, p. 785
- ^ McArthur, p. 557
- ^ Engeman, p. 61
- ^ McArthur, pp. 71–72
- ^ Kessel and Wooster, pp. 33–34
- ^ Souchie, pp. 72–73
- ^ Ruby and Brown, p. 9
- ^ Pritzker, p. 226
- ^ Souchie, p. 71
- ^ Snipp, p. 329
- ^ LaLande, Jeff. "High Desert History". Oregon History Project. Oregon Historical Society. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
- ^ "High Desert". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. May 22, 1986. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
- ^ "Oregon's Large Mammals" (PDF). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. p. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 16, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
- ^ "Prairie Falcon" (PDF). Yolo Natural Heritage Program. April 20, 2009. p. 2. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 8, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
- ^ "Badlands Natural History". Oregon Natural Desert Association. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
- ^ Jackman and Long, p. 8
- ^ "Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on June 1, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
- ^ "Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge: Wildlife and Habitat". U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Archived from the original on October 30, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2011.
- ^ "South Fork Crooked River". Oregon Natural Desert Association. Archived from the original on February 2, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
- ^ Jackman and Long, pp. 192–217
- ^ "Lost Forest Research Natural Area", pp. 14–15
- ^ Bureau of Land Management; National Park Service. "Basin and Range Birding Trail" (PDF). Basin & Range Birding Trail. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 7, 2011. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
- ^ Rakestraw, pp. 20–22
- ^ "Birdwatching in Oregon's Outback". Oregon's Outback. Archived from the original on February 27, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
Works cited
- — "Lost Forest Research Natural Area" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 13, 2012. Retrieved November 16, 2011.
- — "Oregon: A Geologic History". Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries. Archived from the original on May 7, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
- Bancroft, Hubert H.; Victor, Frances F. (1886). History of Oregon. The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft. Vol. 1. San Francisco, California: The History Company. OCLC 9475552.
- Brogan, Phil F. (1964). East of the Cascades. Portland, Oregon: Binfords and Mort. OCLC 2018809.
- Engeman, Richard H. (2009). The Oregon Companion. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. OCLC 236142647.
- Gall, Timothy L. (2009). Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life: Americas (2nd ed.). Detroit, Michigan: Gale. OCLC 624435966.
- Jackman, E.R.; Long, R.A. (1964). OCLC 1353110.
- Kessel, William B.; Wooster, Robert (2005). Encyclopedia of Native American Wars and Warfare. New York, New York: Facts on File. OCLC 44509237.
- ISBN 978-0875952772.
- Pritzker, Barry M. (2000). A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. New York, New York: Oxford University Press. OCLC 42683042.
- Rakestraw, John (2007). Birding Oregon. Guilford, Connecticut: Falcon. OCLC 65165451.
- Ruby, Robert H.; Brown, John A. (1992). A Guide to the Indian Tribes of the Pacific Northwest (Revised ed.). Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press. OCLC 463986877.
- Snipp, C. Matthew (1989). American Indians: The First of This Land. New York, New York: Russell Sage Foundation. OCLC 19670797.
- Souchie, Minerva T. (1991). "The End of a Way of Life: The Burns Paiute Indian Tribe". The First Oregonians. Portland, Oregon: Oregon Council for the Humanities. OCLC 28377310.
External links
- High Desert Museum
- Oregon Public Broadcasting program on Reub Long's Oregon Desert Archived 2012-10-21 at the Wayback Machine
- Oregon Public Broadcasting program on Abert Lake Archived 2013-07-23 at the Wayback Machine
- Oregon Public Broadcasting program on Desert Plants Archived 2012-02-22 at the Wayback Machine
- Oregon Natural Desert Association