EISI Deschutes River Module - Summer 2009Steve Taylor, Earth and Physical Sciences, Western Oregon University

Start

End

• To engage team building in the context of outdoor adventure and experiential education

• To acquire knowledge of the regional geologic, hydrologic, and geomorphic setting of western Oregon

• To apply spatial and temporal scaling concepts to watershed systems

• To develop skills in field-based observation, data collection, analysis, and hypothesis testing

• To gain experience with techniques of landscape analysis and interpretation of the geologic record

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Ad = 26,860 sq. km• N-S length ~ 300 km• 3 hydroelectric dams• John Day Basin to east• Cascades to west• Geology

John Day and Clarno Forma- tions (55-20 m.y. old) Columbia River Basalts (17-14 m.y.) Deschutes Fm volcanics (10-2 m.y.) Pleistocene and Holocene surficial deposits (< 1 m.y.)

•Avg. rainfall < 1000 mm•Semi-Arid•Avg. Runoff = 0.19 m• Q range: 124-213 cms

ToHJA

Cas

cad

e R

ang

e

Ochoco Mtns

Location of dams

EISI Float

“Wet” “Dry”Deschutes

Wes

tern

Cas

cade

s

Hig

h C

asca

des

Pacific Northwest Climate and Tectonics:Linked System Drivers

Westerly cyclonic storm systems

HJA

• Pre-trip reading questions• Active learning assignments• Post-trip reflection paper• Smiles, laughter, fun, friends, adventurous stories to tell

Participant Deliverables And Assessment

• Regional physiography of Cascades and central Oregon• Geology, geomorphology and hydrology of Deschutes Basin• Introduction to geologic observation and landscape analysis• Fundamental principles of hydrology and geomorphology• Fundamentals of fisheries, riparian habitat, watershed assessment, and river restoration

Field Trip Content

• Travel HJA to Trout Creek, Sunday, June 21, PM

• 3 nights camping; 2.5 days rafting, ~55 river miles

• Field support: river guides, paddle boats, bag boats

• Food: 3-a-day provided except for Trout Ck. Camp

• Camp kitchen and staff cooks provided

• Extra group coolers, snacks, specialty items = CYA

• Personal gear stowed in dry bags / on bag boats

• Tent teams encouraged

• Dry and sunny, rain possible, cold water, WIND

• Prepare for sunburn, dehydration, prickly vegetation

• Other stuff: water shoes / river sandals, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tent, flashlight, closed shoes for hiking, swimming / fly fishing, towel, soap/shampoo, river baths

LOGISTICS

Energy Sources in theFluvial System

Gravitational Solar (Climate) Geothermal (Tectonics)

Work of theFluvial System

Transfer of Energy Transfer of Mass

WaterSedimentRafting People

INTRODUCTION TO WATERSHEDS AND RIVERS

WATERSHEDS: Scalable Routing Networks

(Tectonics)

The physical work of rivers:transport sediment and water

Ecological services and riparian habitat

“Hey Taylor – note to self…now’s the time to show the video clip illustrating hillslope-valley bottom process-response mechanisms and the interaction between variables, including human impacts from geomorphic change…”

And now a message from our sponsor:

kayakingsucks.com

…increasing the scale of this example…

Columbia River Gorge: Bridge ofthe Gods Landslide Complex

-Blocked river ca. 300 yrs ago-Legacy effects on landscape

Landscape Analysis: Landform, Material, Process, Age

The record of past processes and tapestry of time…

Material: IgneousBedrock (Age = 100 m.y.)

Material: UnconsolidatedSandy Gravel (Age = last winter)

Process: ColluvialTransportProcess: Alluvial

Transport

Process:Anthropogenic

Material: Angular Cobbles(Age = 10,000 yr)

Material: Gravel(Age = 2000 yr)

Material: SedimentaryBedrock (Age = 20 m.y.)

Fault

Valley-BottomRegime

HillslopeRegime

Stream Processes and Floodplain Development

Age of landscape features and rates of processes: the most elusive facets of study.

Age of Deposits (Terrace Deposits)

How long since these gravels werelast transported by channel processes?

Geologically Relevant Time Scales: 10-5 to 109 Years(minutes-hours-days-years-thousands-hundreds of thousands-millions-billions of years)

Age of Landforms (Surfaces)

Engineering Time Scales? 100 to 102 yrs (then build another one…)

River Terrace

Creek

Creek

Creek

Mack

McRae

Lookout

0 1 km991

684

1347

1312

10981609

1568

1630

549

427

W S-9

W S-10

W S-1

W S-2W S-3

W S-6

W S-7

W S-8 1230

O R EG O N

Linn County

Lane County

LookoutMountain

CarpenterMountain

FrisselPoint

Lookout

Ridge

Blue

RiverRidge

Stream flow gaging stations

Spot e levations m eters AM SL

Experim ental watershed (W S)

Synergistic extension to Eco-Informatics work at HJ Andrews Experimental Forest, “the home of long-term watershed research in the Pacific Northwest”?… 2009 EISI campers, academic enlightenment

is knocking at your door, seize the moment!