A Peculiar River Geology, Geomorphology, and Hydrology of the Deschutes River, Oregon

by O'Connor, Jim E.; Grant, Gordon E.

• ISBN13: 9780875903569
• ISBN10: 0875903568
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-01-10
• Publisher: American Geophysical Union

Summary

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Water Science and Application Series, Volume 7.

The Deschutes is a "peculiar" dammed river in Oregon. Its dramatic juxtaposition of geology, topography, and climate presents a virtual textbook of landforms and geomorphic processes revealing Quaternary, Holocene, and very recent events of immense magnitude. Along the active volcanism and tectonism, the present riverine landscape reflects this episodic geomorphic history, as remnants of fluviatle features, huge bars and boulders, mantle the landscape. A Peculiar River: Geology, Geomorphology, and Hydrology of the Deschutes River, Oregon tells a fascinating story about a "striking, sometimes intimidating, landscape that serves to question generalities and is a laboratory in which to study special landforms and the processes that produce them."

Author Biography

Jim O'Connor majored in Geological Science at University of Washington and earned M.S. and Ph.D. degrees at University of Arizona. Since 1991, he has worked at the U.S. Geological Survey, intent on improving understanding of the processes and events that shape the remarkable and diverse landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.

Table of Contents

Foreword
M. G Wolman vii

Introduction
Jim E. O'Connor and Gordon E. Grant 1

Section I: Geology, Hydrology and Fish of the Deschutes River Basin

Introduction to Section I 5

Overview of Geology, Hydrology, Geomorphology, and Sediment Budget of the Deschutes River Basin, Oregon
Jim E. O 'Connor, Gordon E. Grant, and Tana L. Haluska 7

Groundwater Hydrology of the Upper Deschutes Basin and its Influence on Streamflow
Marshall W. Gannett, Michael Manga, and Kenneth E. Lite, Jr. 31

Controls on the Distribution and Life History of Fish Populations in the Deschutes River: Geology, Hydrology, and Dams
Christian E. Zimmerman and Donald E. Ratliff 51

Section II: The Geomorphology and Flood History of the Lower Deschutes River

Introduction to Section II 71

Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology of the Lower Deschutes River Canyon, Oregon
Jim E. O'Connor, JanetH. Curran, Robin A. Beebee, Gordon E. Grant, and Andrei Sarna-Wojcicki 73

Formation and Evolution of Valley-Bottom and Channel Features, Lower Deschutes River, Oregon
Janet H. Curran and Jim E. O'Connor 95

Holocene Paleoflood Hydrology of the Lower Deschutes River, Oregon
Kurt J. Hosman, Lisa L. Ely, and Jim E. O'Connor 121

The Outhouse Flood: A Large Holocene Flood on the Lower Deschutes River, Oregon
Robin A. Beebee and Jim E. O'Connor 147

Section III: Geomorphic Effects of Dams on the Deschutes and Other Rivers

Introduction to Section III 167

Downstream Effects of the Pelton-Round Butte Hydroelectric Project on Bedload Transport, Channel
Morphology, and Channel-Bed Texture, Lower Deschutes River, Oregon
Heidi Fassnacht, Ellen M. McClure, Gordon E. Grant, and Peter C. Klingeman 169

A Geological Framework for Interpreting Downstream Effects of Dams on Rivers
Gordon E. Grant, John C. Schmidt, and Sarah L. Lewis 203