Английская Википедия:Big Butte Creek

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Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Infobox river

Big Butte Creek is a Шаблон:Convert tributary of the Rogue River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It drains approximately Шаблон:Convert of Jackson County. Its two forks, the North Fork and the South Fork, both begin high in the Cascade Range near Mount McLoughlin. Flowing predominantly west, they meet near the city of Butte Falls. The main stem flows generally northwest until it empties into the Rogue Falls was incorporated in 1911, and remains the only incorporated town within the watershed's boundaries.

Big Butte Creek's watershed was originally settled over 8,000 years ago by the Klamath, Upper Umpqua, and Takelma tribes of Native Americans. In the Rogue River Wars of the 1850s, most of the Native Americans were either killed or forced onto Indian reservations. The first non-indigenous settlers arrived in the 1860s, naming the creek after Snowy Butte, an early name for Mount McLoughlin. In the late 19th century, the watershed was primarily used for agriculture and logging. The small city of Butte Falls was incorporated in 1911, and remains the only incorporated town within the watershed's boundaries.

Big Butte Springs, located in the watershed, provides clean drinking water to more than 115,000 residents of the Rogue Valley. It emits over Шаблон:Convert of water per day. Water from Big Butte Creek is also diverted for irrigation at several other locations.

The water quality of the Big Butte Creek watershed is generally high, and it supports several species of trout and salmon. The watershed is also home to more than 152 species of birds, 63 species of mammals, 19 species of reptiles, and numerous plants. The Poverty Flats region was designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern by the Bureau of Land Management in 1995 to protect several rare species of plants.

Course

Big Butte Creek begins in the Cascade Range near Butte Falls. It flows generally northwest over approximately Шаблон:Convert to its confluence with the Rogue River.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The two main forks of Big Butte Creek, the North Fork and the South Fork, merge at Шаблон:Convert above sea level,Шаблон:Efn while the creek's mouth is located at an elevation of Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn

The North Fork's headwaters are located on the slopes of the Шаблон:Convert Rustler Peak.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn It flows southwest, receiving many small tributaries such as Jackass, Eighty Acre, and Friese creeks. Turning west, it flows just north of Butte Falls before merging with the South Fork.Шаблон:Sfn

The South Fork begins at the confluence of two of its tributaries, Twincheria and Rancheria creeks. It flows southwest, receiving Fourbit Creek on the left.Шаблон:Sfn Fourbit Creek begins near Mount McLoughlin, where massive faults may allow water to seep into it from nearby Fourmile Lake in the Klamath River watershed.Шаблон:Sfn The South Fork turns west and receives Willow Creek on the left. Big Butte Springs are located on Willow Creek, and the Medford Aqueduct, which carries drinking water to cities in the Rogue Valley, parallels the South Fork from there all the way to Butte Falls. The South Fork flows over the Шаблон:Convert Butte Falls—the nearby city's namesake—and merges with the North Fork about Шаблон:Convert downstream.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

Big Butte Creek travels northwest, gathering McNeil Creek on the left and Clark Creek on the right, along with many other minor tributaries.Шаблон:Sfn This region contains many Class II and III rapids, as rated on the International Scale of River Difficulty.Шаблон:Sfn The stream is crossed by Cobleigh Road at river mile (RM) 9.5 or river kilometer (RK) 15,Шаблон:Sfn and Netherlands Road at RM 3 (RK 4.8).Шаблон:Sfn About Шаблон:Convert before its mouth, Big Butte Creek cascades over Crowfoot Falls and is crossed by Crowfoot Road.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn It then flows into the Rogue River Шаблон:Convert from its mouth at the Pacific Ocean.Шаблон:Sfn Big Butte Creek's mouth is about one mile southwest of William L. Jess Dam, and Oregon Route 62 passes just north of it.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

Discharge

The United States Geological Survey monitors the flow of Big Butte Creek at three different stream gauges: two on the South Fork, and one on the main stem. Both South Fork gauges were shut down in 1991, but the gauge located near the mouth of Big Butte Creek continues to operate. The main stem often discharges less water than the South Fork alone in the summer months because of numerous diversions.Шаблон:Sfn

Discharge
Stream Location Drainage basin Years recorded Average flow Maximum flow Minimum flow
South Fork above Willow Creek Шаблон:ConvertШаблон:Sfn 1986–1991 Шаблон:ConvertШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert
(February 23, 1986)Шаблон:Sfn 		Шаблон:Convert
(August–September 1988, September 1990)Шаблон:Sfn
South Fork near Butte Falls Шаблон:ConvertШаблон:Sfn 1911–1991 Шаблон:ConvertШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert
(December 22, 1964)Шаблон:Sfn 		Шаблон:Convert
(September 1981)Шаблон:Sfn
Main stem near mouth Шаблон:ConvertШаблон:Sfn 1945–Present Шаблон:ConvertШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert
(December 22, 1964)Шаблон:Sfn 		Шаблон:Convert
(June 23–24, 1977)Шаблон:Sfn

Watershed

The North Fork begins on Rustler Peak. It flows southwest, then west, gathering many small tributaries. The South Fork begins at the confluence of Rancheria and Twincheria creeks, flowing generally west. One of its main tributaries is Willow Creek, whose headwaters are on Mount McLoughlin. It is impounded by Willow Dam, creating Willow Lake. Big Butte Springs is also located on Willow Creek. The two forks merge at Butte Falls. Big Butte Creek flows northwest until it enters the Rogue River near Lost Creek Lake. The Big Butte Creek watershed is located almost entirely within Jackson County, with a small eastern portion in Klamath County.
A map of the Big Butte Creek watershed

Big Butte Creek drains approximately Шаблон:Convert of southern Oregon. Elevations range from Шаблон:Convert at the creek's mouth to Шаблон:Convert at the summit of Mount McLoughlin, with an average of Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn About 56 percent is federally owned by the Bureau of Land Management and the United States Forest Service, 44 percent is privately owned, and a small fraction belongs to the City of Medford.Шаблон:Sfn

The Big Butte Creek watershed experiences a Mediterranean climate. Temperatures range from Шаблон:Convert in the winter to Шаблон:Convert in the summer.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Precipitation averages between Шаблон:Convert annually. Most precipitation occurs between November and March.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Nine percent of the watershed's surface runoff is collected from rain, 35 percent from rain on snow, and 56 percent from snow.Шаблон:Sfn The watershed contains the largest groundwater source in the entire Rogue River basin; one major outlet is at Big Butte Springs.Шаблон:Sfn

The watershed is split into two geographic regions: the High Cascades and the Western Cascades, both volcanic in origin. The Western Cascades compose the western two thirds of the watershed. This region is highly eroded, being between 17 and 38 million years old. Its unstable slopes are primarily made of pyroclastic rock. Due to the rock's high ability to absorb moisture, earthflows are common. The High Cascades are much younger, around three to seven million years old. Mount McLoughlin is the most prominent High Cascade volcano in the watershed, last erupting between 20,000 and 15,000 years ago.Шаблон:Sfn Basalt and andesite are the most common rock types in this region.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

Nearby watersheds include Little Butte Creek to the south, small Klamath River tributaries such as Fourmile Creek to the east, the South Fork Rogue River to the east and north, and minor tributaries of the Rogue River including Reese and Indian creeks to the west.Шаблон:Sfn

Flora and fauna

A midsized bird perched on a moss covered limb. It has brown feathers, covered with white to tan spots. Its eyes are round and black, and its beak is short and curved downward.
The northern spotted owl, a rare species that inhabits the watershed

Some of the most common trees that grow in the Big Butte Creek watershed include four species of fir, two species of pine, incense cedar, and western hemlock. The understory contains plants such as Pacific yew, Pacific madrone, chinquapin, and vine maple. Several invasive species have been reported in the Big Butte Creek watershed, such as Kentucky bluegrass, common bent, drooping brome, and redtop. The spread of these species is most likely due to overgrazing.Шаблон:Sfn Sensitive species that grow in the watershed include Howell's yampah, Egg Lake monkeyflower, clustered lady's slipper, green-flowered ginger, Mount Mazama collomia, and Detling's microseris.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Mallow and popcorn flower have also been discovered in riparian zones. The Poverty Flats Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) is home to several rare species of plants, including Bellinger's meadowfoam, Howell's yampah, and Rocky Mountain woodsia.Шаблон:Sfn

Over 152 species of birds are known or suspected to live in the Big Butte Creek watershed,Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn including the northern goshawk and the northern spotted owl, a vulnerable species. Bald eagles nest around Willow Lake.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Amphibians such as the vulnerable Oregon spotted frog and the near threatened Cascades frog inhabit some regions of the watershed.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Black-tailed deer, Roosevelt elk, cougars, and black bears are the most common of the 63 species of mammals found in the watershed. Fishers and American martens have also been spotted. The gray wolf and the vulnerable grizzly bear once lived in the watershed, but are now considered extirpated. Nineteen species of reptiles live in the area. Other sensitive species include the wolverine, the western pond turtle, the sandhill crane, and Townsend's big-eared bat.Шаблон:Sfn

Rainbow trout, chinook and coho salmon, and Pacific Lamprey are the most common anadromous fish that inhabit Big Butte Creek.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn They travel as far as Butte Falls, sometimes passing over it during high flows.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Because of the cold, sterile conditions of the water and the difficulty of jumping over the Butte Creek waterfall, streams above Butte Falls have very low populations of anadromous fish.Шаблон:Sfn Native, resident fish in this area include coastal cutthroat and rainbow trout.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Willow Lake contains largemouth bass and rainbow, cutthroat, and brook trout.Шаблон:Sfn Overall, the number of fish in the Big Butte Creek watershed has declined in recent years, possibly due to the clearing of riparian zones and rising water temperatures.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

History

A short, wide, moderate-sized waterfall surrounded by vegetation
Butte Falls, located on the South Fork of Big Butte Creek

Humans have lived in the Big Butte Creek area for at least 8,000 years.Шаблон:Sfn The Klamath, Upper Umpqua, Takelma, and Latgawa tribes of Native Americans inhabited the watershed until they were driven out in the Rogue River Wars of the 1850s.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn On Christmas Eve, December 24, 1855, Captain E. A. Rice along with 34 other men attacked a Native American encampment near the creek's mouth. Eighteen Native American men were killed, all the women and children were captured, and the camp was burned to the ground.Шаблон:Sfn Most were relocated to Indian reservations. Non-indigenous settlers first arrived in the early 1860s, and agriculture, ranching, and logging industries quickly developed.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Big Butte Creek was named by early settlers for its close proximity to Mount McLoughlin (also known as Snowy Butte), as was nearby Little Butte Creek.Шаблон:Sfn

In 1904, a water-powered sawmill was constructed at Butte Falls. The town of Butte Falls was established in 1906, and incorporated in 1911.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The Pacific and Eastern Railway was constructed to Butte Falls in 1910.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Butte Falls also received water rights to Ginger Springs, providing high quality drinking water for the town.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

The Cat Hill Burn destroyed Шаблон:Convert of forest on Rustler Peak in 1910.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn In 1915, the Eagle Point Irrigation Canal was constructed, diverting approximately Шаблон:Convert of water for irrigation in the Little Butte Creek watershed.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The canal begins just below Butte Falls.Шаблон:Sfn The Butte Falls Fish Hatchery was also constructed in 1915.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Originally, the hatchery impounded water from Ginger Creek, however in 1923 a canal was built transferring Шаблон:Convert of water from the South Fork of Big Butte Creek.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The Medford Aqueduct, a Шаблон:Convert pipeline, was constructed in 1927. It delivers about Шаблон:Convert of drinking water from Big Butte Springs south to the Bear Creek watershed.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn In 1951, a second pipeline was added, and Willow Dam was constructed, creating Willow Lake.Шаблон:Sfn The springs serve over 115,000 customers throughout the Rogue Valley.Шаблон:Sfn

Loggers felled massive amounts of forest in the 1920s and 1930s. Reforestation efforts began in the 1940s because natural regeneration could not keep pace with the rate of logging. In 1962, the Columbus Day Storm knocked many more large trees to the ground. Today, old-growth forest covers only about five percent of the watershed.Шаблон:Sfn

In 1995, the Poverty Flats region was designated an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) by the Bureau of Land Management. Located about Шаблон:Convert west of Butte Falls, the ACEC is home to several rare species of plants. It was fenced off in 1996 to protect the area from roaming cattle.Шаблон:Sfn

The Butte Falls Fish Hatchery was scheduled to be closed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife in July 2009 as part of a statewide effort to decrease the department's budget,Шаблон:Sfn but on July 3 it was announced that the hatchery would continue to operate with only one employee.Шаблон:Sfn However, the hatchery was closed permanently in October 2010.Шаблон:Sfn

A Шаблон:Convert portion of the Eagle Point Irrigation Canal failed on October 2, 2011, sending Шаблон:Convert of muddy water down a hillside, across a road, and into lower Big Butte Creek, a vital salmon spawning area. A stream gauge on the Rogue River about Шаблон:Convert downstream reported turbidity levels twenty times higher than before the breach.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The canal was repaired by October 28.Шаблон:Sfn

Pollution

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has monitored Big Butte Creek for eight different parameters that affect water quality: temperature, oxygen saturation, pH, nutrients, bacteria, chemical contaminants such as pesticides and metals, turbidity, and alkalinity. Streams that exceed the standard level are placed on the DEQ 303d list in accordance with the Clean Water Act. About Шаблон:Convert of the streams in the Big Butte Creek watershed were listed on the 2004/2006 DEQ 303d list. The entire main stem exceeded the standard level for temperature, oxygen saturation, and E. coli, a type of bacteria. The lower Шаблон:Convert of the North Fork were listed for high temperature, along with many other minor tributaries. The South Fork was not listed, although some of its tributaries were.Шаблон:Sfn

The loop, shaped somewhat like a figure eight, begins in the town of Butte Falls. It travels east, passing the Butte Falls Fish Hatchery, then turns northeast near Mount McLoughlin. The third and fourth stops are the Whiskey Springs Interpretive Site and the Logging Arch. The loop passes the Cat Hill Burn site, and then has scenic views of Mount McLoughlin. It turns southeast to the Lower South Fork Trailhead, then northwest Imnaha Guard Station. The trail loops around to travel southeast, passing the Giant Sugar Pine and the South Fork Bridge. It turns southwest, passing the Lodgepole Kiosk and finally returning to Butte Falls.
A map of the Butte Falls Discovery Loop Tour, which passes through scenic areas of the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest

Overall, water quality in the Big Butte Creek watershed is generally high, however road construction and logging can cause severe erosion, leading to high levels of sedimentation and turbidity. The Willow Creek region often experiences high turbidity, but Willow Lake traps the sediment before it can travel downstream. Big Butte Springs provides clean water that requires minimal treatment to meet water quality standards. Water from the springs has very little chemical pollution, low turbidity, and temperatures averaging between Шаблон:Convert.Шаблон:Sfn

Recreation

Popular recreational activities in the Big Butte Creek watershed include hunting, camping, hiking, and horseback riding.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Many tourists also come to sight-see.Шаблон:Sfn The most heavily used trail in the area is the Blue Canyon Trail, leading to the Sky Lakes Wilderness, and ultimately the larger Pacific Crest Trail.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn The city of Butte Falls has organized the Butte Falls Discovery Loop Tour, a half-day-long drive through the Rogue River – Siskiyou National Forest. The loop starts in Butte Falls, and has several stops for hiking and viewing the landscape, including Mount McLoughlin.Шаблон:Sfn

Water recreation on Willow Lake includes boating, swimming, fishing, and waterskiing. Fishing is also popular in other streams, especially Fourbit Creek.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn Cross-country skiing and snowmobiling are popular in the winter.Шаблон:Sfn

See also

Notes and references

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