Columbia River Gorge near Crown Point, Oregon, looking upstream into the gorge, past the Vista House, from Portland Women's Forum Viewpoint (Chanticleer Point)

The Columbia River Gorge

The Columbia River Gorge is a canyon of the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Crown Point is the name of a Promontory on the Columbia River Gorge and an associated State park in the U Chanticleer Point is a geographical landmark on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge. For the song see CANYONMID. For the band see Canyon (band. A canyon (rarely cañon) or gorge The Columbia River (known as The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America (the term refers to the land not the ocean The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Up to 4,000 feet (1,300 m) deep, the canyon stretches for over 80 miles (130 km) as the river winds westward through the Cascade Range forming the boundary between the State of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south. Washington ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Oregon ( is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Columbia Gorge American Viticultural Area is located in both states. An American Viticultural Area is a designated Wine Grape -growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features with boundaries

The gorge is the only water connection between the Columbia River Plateau and the Pacific Ocean. The Columbia River Plateau is a geologic and geographic region that lies across parts of the U The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions Extending roughly from the confluence of the Columbia with the Deschutes River down to eastern reaches of the Portland metropolitan area, the gorge furnishes the only navigable route through the Cascades. The Deschutes River ( IPA: /dəˈʃuts/ in central Oregon is a major tributary of the Columbia River. For the metropolitan area in Maine see Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Shipping was greatly simplified after Bonneville Dam and The Dalles Dam submerged the gorge's major rapids. Bonneville Lock and Dam (ˈbɑnəvɪl consists of several Dam structures that together complete a span of the Columbia River between the U The Dalles Dam is a hydroelectric Dam spanning the Columbia River, two-miles (3 km east of the city of The Dalles Oregon, United States In 1805, the route was used by the Lewis and Clark Expedition to reach the Pacific.

The gorge today holds federally protected status as a National Scenic Area and is a popular recreational destination.

History

The Columbia River Gorge began forming as far back as the Miocene Era, (roughly 12 - 17 million years ago), and continued to take shape through the Pleistocene era, (700,000 - 2 million years ago). The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene period and extends from about 23 The Pleistocene ('plaɪstəsin is the epoch from 18 million to 10000 years BP covering the world's recent period During this period the Cascades Range was forming, which slowly moved the Columbia River's delta about 100 miles north to its current location. ^[1]

Although the river slowly eroded the land over this period of time, the most drastic changes took place at the end of the last ice age when the Missoula Floods cut the steep, dramatic walls that exist today. An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets The Missoula Floods (also known as the Spokane Floods or the Bretz Floods) refer to the cataclysmic Floods that swept periodically across eastern Washington This quick erosion left many layers of volcanic rock exposed. Igneous rocks (etymology from Latin ignis, fire are rocks formed by solidification of cooled Magma (molten rock ^[1]

Description

The western gorge is dominated by conifers, Bigleaf Maple, Cottonwood, Oregon Ash, and Vine Maple. Acer macrophyllum ( Bigleaf Maple or Oregon Maple) is a large Deciduous Tree in the genus Acer. The cottonwoods are three species of Poplars in the section Aegiros of the genus Populus, native to North America, Europe and western Fraxinus latifolia ( Oregon ash) is a member of the ash genus Fraxinus, native to western North America on the west side of the Acer circinatum ( Vine Maple) is a species of Maple native to western North America, from southwest British Columbia to northern The eastern gorge is home to Bigleaf Maple and Garry Oak. The Garry Oak ( Quercus garryana) also known as Oregon White Oak or Oregon Oak, has a range from southern California to extreme southwestern The wide range of elevation and precipitation in the gorge creates a diverse collection of ecosystems from the temperate rain forest at Oneonta Gorge (with an average annual precipitation of 75 inches [1,900 mm]) to the Celilo grasslands (with average annual precipitation 12 inches [300 mm]). An ecosystem is a natural unit consisting of all plants animals and micro-organisms( Biotic factors in an area functioning together with all of the non-living physical ( Temperate rainforests are Coniferous or broadleaf Forests that occur in the Temperate zone and receive high rainfall The Oneonta Gorge is in the Columbia River Gorge in the American state of Oregon. Celilo Village Oregon is an unincorporated Native American community on the Columbia River in northeastern Wasco County in the U A large variety of endemic wildflowers thrives throughout the gorge. A wildflower (or wild flower) is a Flower that grows wild meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted

The gorge has supported human habitation for over 13,000 years. Evidence of the Folsom and Marmes people, who crossed the Bering land bridge from Asia, were found in archaeological digs. The Bering land bridge was a Land bridge roughly 1000 miles (1600 km north to south at its greatest extent which joined present-day Alaska and eastern Siberia Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos Excavations near Celilo Falls, a few miles east of The Dalles, show humans have occupied this ideal salmon-fishing site for more than 10,000 years. Celilo Falls ( Wyam, meaning "echo of falling water" or "sound of water upon the rocks" in several native languages was a tribal fishing This page is about the Oregon town For the nearby geological formation The Dalles see Celilo Falls. Salmon is the common name for several species of Fish of the family Salmonidae.

In addition to its natural beauty, the gorge also provides a critical transportation corridor. Natives would travel through the Gorge to trade at Celilo falls, both along the river and over Lolo Pass on the north side of Mount Hood; Americans followed similar routes when settling the region, and later established steamboat lines and railroads through the gorge. Lolo Pass is a Mountain pass six miles northwest of Mount Hood and ten miles northeast of Zigzag Oregon, on the Clackamas / Hood River Mount Hood (called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe) is a Stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc in northern This article concerns steamboats operating between Tri-Cities Washington and the Pacific Ocean The Columbia River Highway, built in the early 20th century, was the first major paved highway in the Pacific Northwest, and remains famous for its scenic beauty. The Historic Columbia River Highway is an approximately 75-mile (120 km Scenic highway in the U The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America (the term refers to the land not the ocean

The gorge is one of the most popular recreational locations in the Pacific Northwest. The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America (the term refers to the land not the ocean

Atmospheric pressure differentials east and west of the Cascades create a wind tunnel effect in the deep cut of the gorge, generating 35 mph (56 km/h) winds that make it one of the finest and best-known windsurfing and kiteboarding locations in the world. A wind tunnel is a research tool developed to assist with studying the effects of air moving over or around solid objects Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board also commonly called a sailboard usually two to five meters long and powered by a single sail The hatchery, located on the Washington side of the river near Hood River is one of the most popular places to windsurf. The Hatchery, also know simply as "The Hatch" is a famous Windsurfing site on the Columbia River Gorge about four miles to the west of Hood River The Hood River is a tributary of the Columbia River in northwestern Oregon in the United States. Windsurfing is a surface water sport using a windsurf board also commonly called a sailboard usually two to five meters long and powered by a single sail

The gorge also contains the greatest concentration of waterfalls in the Pacific Northwest, with over 77 waterfalls on the Oregon side of the gorge alone. A waterfall is usually a geological formation resulting from water often in the form of a Stream, flowing over an Erosion -resistant rock Many are along the Historic Columbia River Highway, including the notable Multnomah Falls, which, at 620 feet (188 m), is often claimed (erroneously^[2]) to be the second tallest year-round waterfall in the United States. The Historic Columbia River Highway is an approximately 75-mile (120 km Scenic highway in the U Multnomah Falls is a Waterfall on the Oregon side of the Columbia River Gorge, located east of Troutdale, between Corbett and This is a list of Waterfalls of the world by continent Africa Angola Kalandula Falls, second largest in Africa The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

In November 1986, Congress recognized the unique beauty of the gorge by making it first U. The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses S. National Scenic Area and establishing the Columbia River Gorge Commission as part of an interstate compact.

Gallery

Columbia River Gorge, photographed from Cape Horn

Columbia River Gorge, photographed from the southern edge of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest

Native Indian petroglyphs in the Columbia River Gorge near The Dalles Dam

Kitesurfing on the Columbia River

See also

• Lolo Pass (Oregon), an early alternative to the Gorge for pioneers traveling to the Willamette Valley
• Barlow Road, the first wagon-compatible pioneer road to provide a safer alternative to traveling through the gorge
• Cascades Rapids
• Historic Columbia River Highway

References

External links

• Fine lodging options in the Columbia River Gorge
• Gorge Friends.org - Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Act
• U.S. Forest Service - Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
• Columbia River Gorge Commission
• The Seattle Times' Pacific NW magazine - "Trailing an Apocalypse" - 30 September 2007

• Rau, Weldon W. Events 1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England. 1744 - France and Spain defeat the Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. (Winter 2001-02). "The Columbia River Gorge and Early Emigrant Travel: Through the Magnificent Gateway". Columbia magazine 15 (4).  

Coordinates: 45°42′17″N 121°47′30″W / 45.70472, -121.79167