Tualatin Valley

Coordinates: 45°30′38″N 122°59′19″W / 45.51056°N 122.98861°W / 45.51056; -122.98861
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other uses, see Tualatin (disambiguation).
Tualatin Valley
The Tualatin Valley from Bald Peak State Scenic Viewpoint
The Tualatin River
Floor elevation180 ft (55 m)
Geography
LocationWashington County & Clackamas County, Oregon
Borders on
Coordinates45°30′38″N 122°59′19″W / 45.51056°N 122.98861°W / 45.51056; -122.98861 
Coordinates[1]

The Tualatin Valley is a farming and suburban region southwest of Portland, Oregon. The valley is formed by the meandering Tualatin River, a tributary of the Willamette River at the northwest corner of the Willamette Valley, east of the Northern Oregon Coast Range. Most of the valley is located within Washington County, separated from Portland by the Tualatin Mountains. Communities in the Tualatin Valley include Banks, Forest Grove, Cornelius, Hillsboro, Aloha, Beaverton, Sherwood, Tigard, and Tualatin.

History

In the early 19th century, the valley was inhabited by the

Kalapuyan band that spoke a dialect of Northern Kalapuyan. In the middle 19th century, the Atfalati lived in several villages in the valley, including Chakeipi ("Place of the Beaver", translated by early white settlers as "Beaver Dam"). Early Euro-American settlers called the valley the "Twality Plains", a corruption of the name of the Atfalati tribe. Other early variations included Falatin, Nefalatine, Twalaity, and Quality, with each roughly translated as slow river to describe the Tualatin River, or may translate as land without trees.[2]

The valley was one of the earliest settled farming regions in Oregon, as settlers began arriving in 1840.

timber industry
.

The lack of roads connecting the upper valley to the Willamette River quickly became a hindrance to early settlers. In 1850, the

railroad
was extended into the valley in 1868.

The growth of agriculture in the valley was eventually limited in the middle 20th century by the need for irrigation.[3] In 1966, the United States Bureau of Reclamation built the Tualatin Project, bringing additional water to many parts of the valley in the last federal reclamation project in the Pacific Northwest.[3]

Valley from the Chehalem Mountains on the southern end of the valley

In the second half of the 20th century the valley became increasingly suburbanized and now forms a distinct cultural area that rivals Portland itself in political and economic influence. The communities along the

mass transit agency. In 1998, the MAX Light Rail system was extended from Portland into the valley as far as Hillsboro.[4]

Tualatin Valley sits at the northwestern edge of the Willamette Valley, known for its production of wine, especially Pinot noir. Established in 1970 in Tualatin Valley, Ponzi Vineyards was among the first Oregon wineries to produce estate-grown Pinot Noir. Its 130 acres of family-owned vineyards are LIVE Certified Sustainable and it is one of the largest wineries in Oregon. As of June 3, 2020, Ponzi Vineyards is located within the Laurelwood District AVA which was approved by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). The Tualatin Hills AVA was also approved at the same time in 2020. The two AVAs share a small portion of their boundaries and contain among the highest concentrations of Laurelwood soils in the state.

Geography

The valley is traversed by the

sea-level.[1]

Attractions

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tualatin Valley.

References

  1. ^ a b "Tualatin Valley". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. 2006-03-03. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
  2. ^
    OCLC 4874569
    .
  3. ^ a b "Irrigation Water in Oregon's Green Willamette Valley Tualatin Project, Oregon". Tualatin Valley Irrigation District. Retrieved 2009-11-15.
  4. ^ Mapes, Jeff (September 13, 1998). "Gore walks tight line on Clinton". The Oregonian.
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