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

LEARNING OBJECTIVES 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

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 To HJA Cascade Range Ochoco Mtns Location of dams EISI Float

Pacific Northwest Climate and Tectonics: Linked System Drivers “Wet” “Dry” Westerly cyclonic storm systems Deschutes High Cascades Western Cascades HJA

Participant Deliverables And Assessment Field Trip Content 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 Participant Deliverables And Assessment Pre-trip reading questions Active learning assignments Post-trip reflection paper Smiles, laughter, fun, friends, adventurous stories to tell

LOGISTICS 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 Invasive plants are a pervasive problem and have been for a long time In western Oregon disruption of native habitats and annual economic losses In the United States annual losses of over $130 billion Vegetative disturbance of natural ecosystems soil substrate conditions, nutrient availability, canopy shading (solar influx), and riparian hydrology Most abundant concentrations of invasive species typically associated with human-related disturbance disturbed zones on the landscape act as primary conduits understanding the controls on spatial distribution of invasive plants in the context of disturbance regime is critical for designing effective watershed conservation and restoration plans

INTRODUCTION TO WATERSHEDS AND RIVERS Energy Sources in the Fluvial System Gravitational Solar (Climate) Geothermal (Tectonics) Work of the Transfer of Energy Transfer of Mass Water Sediment Rafting People

WATERSHEDS: Scalable Routing Networks

The physical work of rivers: transport sediment and water Ecological services and riparian habitat (Tectonics)

“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 of the 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: Sedimentary Bedrock (Age = 20 m.y.) Hillslope Regime Fault Process: Anthropogenic Process: Colluvial Transport Process: Alluvial Transport Material: Igneous Bedrock (Age = 100 m.y.) Material: Gravel (Age = 2000 yr) Valley-Bottom Regime Material: Unconsolidated Sandy Gravel (Age = last winter) Material: Angular Cobbles (Age = 10,000 yr)

Stream Processes and Floodplain Development To view this animation, click “View” and then “Slide Show” on the top navigation bar.

Age of landscape features and rates of processes: the most elusive facets of study. Geologically Relevant Time Scales: 10-5 to 109 Years (minutes-hours-days-years-thousands-hundreds of thousands-millions-billions of years) Engineering Time Scales? 100 to 102 yrs (then build another one…) Age of Landforms (Surfaces) River Terrace Age of Deposits (Terrace Deposits) How long since these gravels were last transported by channel processes?

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!