John Day Fossil Beds National Monument By: Gray Gorbatoff

History John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is a U.S. National Monument in east-central Oregon. Located in the John Day River basin and managed by the National Park Service, the park is known for its well-preserved layers of fossil plants and mammals that lived in the region between the late Eocene, about 45 million years ago, and the late Miocene, about 5 million years ago. Before the Euro-Americans came in the 19th century, the John Day basin was visited by Sahaptin people who hunted, fished, and gathered roots and berries in the region. After road-building made the valley easier to get to, settlers made farms, ranches, and a few small towns along the river and its tributaries. Paleontologists have been unearthing and studying the fossils in the region since 1864, when Thomas Condon, a missionary and amateur geologist, recognized their importance and made them known globally. Parts of the basin became a National Monument in The monument consists of three units: Sheep Rock, Painted Hills, and Clarno. The units cover a total of 13,944 acres of semi-desert shrublands, riparian zones, and colorful badlands.

United States of America John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

Units (in green) of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument

Painted Hills Unit Bridge Creek Bear Creek Road

Sheep Rock Unit John Day River

Clarno Unit Pine Creek

Special Landforms and Features in the Park The Painted Hills Unit is known for its various colors of red, orange, black and tan found in the exposed volcanic layers. This area is also home to a wide range of leaf fossils from a temperate forest. The Clarno Unit features a cliff formed by a series ancient volcanic mudflows that now is high above the surrounding landscape. Glimpses of fossilized plants from millions of years ago can also be seen from the Trail of Fossils. The Sheep Rock Unit was named after Sheep Rock peak which towers 1,100 feet above John Day River valley. The exposed green claystone layers seen in this area continue to expose new vertebrate fossils from 30 million years ago through natural erosion.

Environmental Issues Affecting the Park Water Quality Upstream uses of the John Day River by communities and ranching operations are impacting the river flow levels and water quality in the park. Non-Native Species Settlement by non-native people has resulted in the introduction of non-native species of plants. These non-native species have grown rapidly in the park, displacing native vegetation.

Environmental Issues Affecting the Park Fire Suppression Prior to the 1900’s, the park experienced fires every 5 to 15 years. While this resulted in injury to wildlife and destroyed habitats, it also contributed to diverse animal and plant communities. Since the 1900’s, fire suppression has been the standard for the region, with only a limited number of fires affecting the park. One result of this fire suppression has been a large increase in the number of juniper trees found on the landscape, which has resulted in a large decrease in grasses and shrubs and the wildlife that use these types of habitats.

What Type of Rocks Can Be Found at the Park? Igneous (for example, basalt), sedimentary and metamorphic rocks can all be found at John Day Fossil Beds. The picture to the right shows the rock layers which form the Rattlesnake Formation located in the Sheep Rock Unit. The Rattlesnake Formation is typical of rock formations in all of the John Day Fossil Bed units.

How is Technology Used to Help Preserve and Maintain the Park? Weed Treatments. The John Day River is a natural conduit for non- native weeds from upstream communities to find their way into the park. Park staff closely monitor the weed population and treat them to make sure the weeds don’t overtake and replace the native plants. Controlled Fires. The National Park Service burns controlled fires as a tool to reduce juniper numbers, to increase the regrowth of disappearing brush and grass stands, and to protect the wildlife species that use these habitats from large scale and extremely dangerous wildfires.

How is Technology Used to Help Preserve and Maintain the Park? Mercury Monitoring. The National Park Service measures mercury levels in samples of water and dragonfly larvae taken from the John Day River to monitor the levels of mercury in the park and its possible risk to the park ecosystem. Understanding the levels of mercury in dragonfly larvae is important because dragonflies are a main food source for some fish. Fish are then eaten by birds and mammals (including humans). Sound Monitoring. The National Park Service also measures the sound levels in the park to better understand the impact of sound on the health of the park ecosystem and the visitor experience..

How Was The Park Formed? From 118 to 93 million years ago, tectonic plates in Oregon were shifting, carrying large blocks of rock formed from the Permian (300 – 250 Mya), Triassic (250 – 200 Mya), and Jurassic (200 – 0.6 Mya) periods with them. The John Day Fossil Beds National Monument is located in one of the areas where these rocks ended up accumulating. Subsequent volcanic eruptions deposited layers of lava, ash, shale, siltstone, basalt and other debris on top of these older rocks, entombing plants and animals caught in their path. Over time, these layers were cemented together by silica. Erosion from water and wind over millions of years have exposed these layers, forming the present day rock formations in the park.

How is the Land Inside the Park Currently Changing? As discussed in the section entitled “Environment Issues Affecting the Park,” – upstream uses of the John Day River by communities and ranching operations are impacting the river flow levels and water quality in the park; – settlement by non-native people has resulted in the introduction of non-native species of plants, displacing native vegetation; and – fire suppression has resulting in a large increase in the number of juniper trees found on the landscape.

How is the Land Inside the Park Currently Changing? In addition, wind and water from rainfall and the John Day River and its tributaries continue to erode the rock formations in the park. Slope movement is also affecting the land in the park. Slope movement is the movement of soil and rock down a slope under the influence of gravity. Landslides and avalanches are common types of slope movement.

Bibliography [DRAFT] _gri_rpt_body_print.pdf _gri_rpt_body_print.pdf &s=50&name=John Day Fossil Beds National Monument