Professional Paper No. 6 Series H, Forestry, 3 

DEP ARTl\1ENT OF TTIE INTER!Ol-~ 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SUHVEY 

CHA_RLES D. WALCOTT, DmECTOR 

FORES1, CONDrriONS 

I N THE 

CASCADE RANGE, W1tSHINGTON 

BET\VEEN THE ·wASHINGTON AND ~fOUNT RAINIER 

FOREST RESERVES 

' BY 

FRED G. PLUMMER 

WASHINGTON 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFI C E 

1902 

CONTENTS. 

Page. 

Letter of transn1ittal ....................... _ ... _. _ ..... _ .. __ ......... _...... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

General description ........................ __ . _ •..... _ ... _...................... . . . . . . . . . . 9 

Trees and shrubs ......................... _ ... _ ...... _ ....................... _ ........ _ .. _.. 11 

Distribution of species by zones .................... _ ........ _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 

Examination of a typical acre ..................... _ ......... ~ ............... __ . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 

Defects and diseases of timber trees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 

Markets and prices of lumber. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 

Detailed descriptions of areas .......................................................... ·.... 19 

Skykomish River watershed........................................................... 19 

Tolt River watershed ....................... _ .. _ ..................... _....... . . . . . . . . . . 20 

Snoqualmie River watershed ............... _ . _ ........... _ .. _.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 

Cedar River watershed .................. _ ..................... _._ .. _ ............ _..... 23 

Green River watershed .................... _ ... _ ..................... _ .. _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 

White River watershed................................................................ 25 

Yakima River watershed . _ ................ _ ..... _ ..... _ ....... _........ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

Wen ache River watershed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

Entiat River watershed ................ _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

Chelan Lake watershed .................. _ ....... _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

Summary ............................... _ ................... _. _...................... 34 

Irrigation ...................... _ ....... _ ... _ ... _ ........ _. __ .. _ ......... ___ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

t1razing ............... ~ ......... _ ........ _ ... _ ............. __ ... __ ........ _ . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 

Mineral springs ........................... _ .. _ .. __ . _ .. _ ... _ . _ . _ ..... _ .... _ . _ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 

Index ................................... _ ... _ ... _ .... _ ........... _ ..... _ .... _ ... __ . . . . . . . 41 

3 

I 

ILLUSTRATIONS. 

Page. 

PLATE I. Map of Cascade Range between the Washington and Mount Rainier forest reserves, 

Washington, showing land classification and density of standing timber._ ... _. In pocket. 

II. Map of Cascade Range bet~ween the Washington and Mount Rainier forest reserves, 

\Vashington, showing distribution of red fir _________ . _____ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10 

III. Map of ·cascade Range between the Washington and Mount Rainier forest reserves, 

Washington, showing distribution of yellow pine ____ . ____ . _ ..... :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 

IV. Map of Cascade Range between the Washington and Mount Rainier forest reserves, 

Washington, showing distribution of hemlock _______________________ ........ _. _ _ 14 

V. Map of Cascade Range between the Washington and Mount Rainier forest reserves, 

Washington, showing distribution of red cedar .... _ ..... __ .......... _ .. _ . ___ .. _ . . 16 

VI. Map of Cascade Range between the Washington and Mount Rainier forest reserves, 

Washington, showing distribution of Engelmann spruce ............ _ ..... _ .... _ . . 18 

VII. Range of timber trees in altitude ..... _. _______ .. __________ ._ ....... _____ .. _....... 20 

VIII. Burn near Berlin, on Great Northern Rail way ........ __ ..... "_ ......... _.......... 28 

IX. A, Red fir on Great Northern Rail way; B, Forest on Northern Pacific Rail way -.. . . . . 30 

X. A, Heavy stand of red fir; B, Hemlock forest on Middle Fork of Snoqualmie River.. 32 

XI. A, Red cedar 20 feet in diameter; B, Hemlock, maple, and alder __ . __ .. __ -_ ..... _ _ _ _ 34 

5 

tETTER OF TRANSMITTAt. 

DEPART~IENT OF THE INTERIOR, 

UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SuRVEY, 

lVashington, D. 0., June 17, J902. 

SIR: I transmit herewith, for publication in the series of Professional Papers, a 

report on forest conditions in that part of the Cascade Range lying between the Mount 

Rainier and Washington forest reserves, prepared by Mr. Fred G. Plummer. 

Very respectfully, .Yours, 

Hon. CHARLES D. WALCOTT, 

Di'J•ector United States Geolog,z'cal Survey. 

HENRY GANNETT, 

GeograpAer. 

7 

FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE BETWEEN THE 

WASHINGTON AND MOUNT RAINIER FOREST RESERVES. 

By FRED G. PLUMMER. 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 

This report covers that portion of the Cascade Mountains in the State of vVashington lying between the Mount Rainier Forest Reserve and the Washington Forest 

Reserve. It may be more particularly described by Government subdivision surveys 

as comprising townships 19 to 28 north, and from range 9 east eastward to the 

Columbia River. 

The land-classification· map submitted herewith, Pl. I, covers 2,800,000 acres, 

of which 261,350 acres are naturally timberless areas, such as arid lands~ lakes, and 

glaciers. The remaind~r, or 2,538,650 acres, is a naturally timbered country, but 

has lost 204,140 a.cres, or 8.04 per cent, by fires, and 41,640 acres~ or 1.64 per cent, 

by logging, thus leaving 2,292,870 acres which can at this time be called timber 

lands. Although these burned and logged areas have to be deducted in estimating 

the timber, they are nevertheless included in the maps showing the distribution of 

the various species, for the reason that they lie within the timber zones, and either 

are or will be restocked with those species that now form the bordering forests. 

Of the total area, 179,400 acres, or 6.4 per cent, are estimated as arable; and of 

this, 13,614 acres, or 7.6 per cent, are under cultivation. The detailed treatment 

of these areas will be found under the several watersheds and also under the heading 

''Irrigation." 

The estimate of the timber now standing upon the 2,292,870 acres of timbered 

laud is 12,001,510 M feet B. M., which gives an average per acre of. 5,234 feet 

B. M. This estimate at first sight appears low, but it results from the fact that 

1,520, 700 acres, or 66 per cent, of the timbered area are upon the eastern slope of 

the mountains, which supports a much more open and lighter forest than does the 

9 
10 FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, WASHINGTON. 

western slope. The average stand of timber for the western slope is 9,506 feet 

B. M. per acre, while that for the eastern slope is but 3,064 feet B. M. per acre. 

The summit of the Cascade Mountains, as delineated upon the map, is that 

irregular line which marks the division of the surface drainage westward into Puget 

Sound and eastward into the Columbia River. This geographical summit is not 

colinear with the geological summit, nor with the ':botanical summit," by which is 

meant that line which would divide the characteristic western from the eastern 

growth. Upon the large-scale map this line would be a band or strip varying in 

width from 4 to 8 miles, and in this strip the timber features of both slopes would 

overlap, and this overlap strip would extend along the eastern slope, paralleling the 

geographical summit. In other words, the timber of the western slopes has flowed 

eastward over the geographical summit-freely through the low passes and with 

difficulty through the higher saddles or over the ridges and peaks. 

The climatology of this region must of ~ecessity be written in a very general 

manner, as the data are of a fragmentary character and not always trustworthy. The 

first general truth is that the western slope is a region of excessive humidity, which, 

with the timber, overlaps slightly onto the eastern slope. The remainder of the eastern slope shows a decrease of precipitation eastward, reaching its minimum in the arid 

regions of eastern Washington, approximately in R. 30 E. Extremes of temperature 

prevail east of the mountains, while the western slope has a more equable climate. 

As a result, the greatest depths of snow are found in the overlap, where the 

precipitation is great and thP- winter temperatures are low. The precipitation is 

heaviest in the Snoqualmie and Cedar River watersheds, and in these it is probably 

greatest in the Middle Fork Basin, in T. 23 N., R. 11 E. The testimony on this 

matter from the few who knew the region would warrant the belief that the rainfall 

exceeds that of any other point in Washington, Clearwater perhaps excepted. 

Observations at North Bend, in T. 23 N., R. 8 E., show 90 inches annually, and all 

agree that it rains very much more at Middle Fork. Without vouching for the 

correctness of this, it is fair to say that my experiences during the last week of the 

ordinarily dry month of August were exasperatingly confirmatory. In one day, 

while walking 10 miles along the valley, I crossed more than seventy running streams,· 

of which seven were about 15 feet wide. These streams drained the northern side of 

that prominent spur of the Cascade Mountains which ends in Preacher Mountain, and 

none of them could have been over 3 miles in length. 

Snoqualmie and Cedar River watersheds, mentioned above, together with the 

Yakima watershed, on the eastern slope, are deserving of special mention in this 

report for the reason that the entire minimum flow from their catchment basins will 

be utilized in the near future for purposes of vital importance. Snoqualmie River 

now furnishes light and power for the cities of Tacoma and Seattle; Cedar RiveJ' 
U.S GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

30' 

PROFESSIONAL PAPER N0.6 PL. If 

:MAP OF THE 

CENTBAL PORTJON 

OF THE 

J\SCADE MOlJNTAlNS 

WASHINGTON 

Showing distribution of 

Red fir (Pseudolsll~a laxifolia) 

Scale 

PROPORTJON' ·ro 

TOTAL FOHEST 

[ J Less than 10 per cent 

50" 

75 II 

120" 

. 

0 

JULIUS BIEN. CO. LITH. N .Y. 
TREES .AND SHRUBS. 11 

supplies the water to Seattle, and the Yakima irrigates the most important farm 

lands of the State. Fortunately, large lakes which can be made into impounding 

reservoirs are well situated in all these watersheds, and their utilization is already 

receiving serious consideration. 

The Northern Pacific and Great Northern railways cross the Cascade ~fountains 

in the area under consideration in this report. For the protection of their roads 

from forest fires and from falling trees, the rights of way have been cut from 50 to 

400 feet in width, according to the condition and size of the timber and the topography. The desire is to remove every tree or snag which threatens the roadbed, 

sparing nothing which in falling would reach the tracks. 

The Cascade Range has been no barrier to the shipment of lumber since the 

building of these railroads. Large quantities of the fir, spruce, and cedar of the 

western slopes are shipped for use in eastern Washington, as the better quality of 

the timber fully compensates for the additional hauling. The yellow pme and tamarack, found only on the eastern slopes, are inferior to the western woods and are 

never shipped westward except as crates or boxes for fruits or melons. 

TREES AND SHRUBS. 

List of trees and shrubs found in central Washington. 

CONIFERS. 

White pine_. __ . __ ........................................•. Pinus monticola. 

Yellow pine __________ .. _ ... _ ... _ ........... _ ........... _._.Pinus ponderosa. 

Lodgepole pine .. _ ... _ .. _.... . . _ .. _ ..................... _ .. Pinus murrayana. 

White-bark pine_ .. _ ..... _ .. __ .. _ .. _ ........... _ ............ Pinus albicaulis. 

Noble fir ....... __ .......................................... Abies nobilis. 

Lovely fir _ ... ___ ... _ ... _ .......... _ ... _ ....... _ ............ Abies amabilis. 

White fir .. _ .... __ ._ ... _._ ...... _ ... _ .. _ ... __ ...... _ ........ Abies grandis. 

Subalpine fir . ____ ... _ ...................................... Abies lasiocarpa. 

Mertens hemlock ........................................... Tsuga mertensiana. 

Patton hemlock .................... _ ........................ Tsuga pattoniana. 

Engelmann spruce .... _ ................ _ .................... Picea engelmanni. 

Red fir ... _ ........... __ ... · ........................ _ ..... ~ .. Pseudotsuga taxifolia. 

Red cedar .... _ ..... _ ....................................... Thuja plicata. 

Alaska cedar ......... ~ .. _ .................................. Chamrecyparis nootkatensis. 

Tamarack .................................................. Larix occidentalis. 

Alpine larch .............................•......... _ ........ Larix lyallii. 

Yew ....................... _ . _ ............................. Taxus brevifolia. 

Creeping juniper .... __ ..•.•. _._ •............... _ ............ Juniperus nana. 

DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS. 

Cottonwood ... _ ......................................... _-.Populus trichocarpa. 

Quaking aspen ........................... _ .................. Populus tremuloides. 

Maple .. _ ................. ___ ............................... Acer macrophyllum. 
12 FORES'J' CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, WASHINGTON. 

Vine maple. __________ .......... __ .. ___ .. ___ ._ .. __ . _______ .. Acer circinatum. 

Dwarf maple ________ .. _____ . ___ . ____________ . ______ . ___ .. __ Acer glabrum. 

Mountain alder _· ______ .. __ . __ ..... __ . ____________________ ._.Alnus viridus. 

Red alder ..... _ ..... _ .. __ . _ . __ .. ________ . _ . _ ... __ . __ . _____ . Alnus oregon a. 

Mountain ash_ . _ .. __ . ______________ . _ . _ .. _______________ . _ .. _ Sorbus occidentalis. 

Longleaf willow • ___ ..... _____ .. __ . _________ . _ ..... _ ... ___ .. Salix :fluviatilis. 

Lyall willow .................... _ ... __ ..... ____ .... __ ....... Salix lasiandra lyalli. 

Salix glabra. 

Silver willow ............................. ___ ............... Salix sitchensiH. 

Redberry elder ...................... _ .... ___ ......... __ .... Sambucus callicarpa. 

Blueberry elder_ ..... _ ................ _._ .. ___ ... __ . ____ .... Sambucus glauca. 

Sweet myrtle . __ .... _ ..... _ ..... _ ... ___ .. _. _ . _ . _ . ____ . ______ Ceanothus velutinus. 

Thorn apple .. __ ... _ ..... __ ... _. _ . _ . ____ . ___ .. ________ .. ___ . Cratrogus macracantha. 

Dogwood ... _ . _ . _ . _ . __ .... _ .... _ .. ___ .. ________ . _ .. __ .. ___ . _Corn us nuttallii. 

High bush cranberry ...... _ .... __ .. -.- __ . _____ . __ ... ___ .. _._.Viburnum pauci:florum. 

Bearberry ............................ _ . ____ . _ . _ . _ .... __ ... _Rhamnus purshiana. 

Syringa . _ .......... _ ...... _ . __ .... _. _ . __ . _______ . ____ . ____ . Philadelphis lewisii. 

Arrow wood ... _ .......................... ___ . _____ . ____ . __ .Spirea discolor. 

Buck brush ........................ _ . _ . _ ....... _ . _ . _____ .. __ Spirea rosea. 

Buckbrush .......... _ .... __ .... _ .. ____ .. ______________ . __ .. Spirea corymbosa. 

Sumach ............................ ___ .. _. __ . _____ . ___ ... _.Rhus glabra. 

Birch . __ ... _____ . __ ... _ . _ ... _ .. ___ ..... ___ . _ ..... __ .... ____ Betula sp. 

Chokecherry ........... ____ .......... _ .......... __ ......... Ptunur~ demissa. 

'Vild cherry ......... _ .. __ .... _ ... __ ... _ .......... _ .... ___ .. Prunus emarginata. 

Greasewood ......... _ ......................... _ ... __ ....... Purshia tridentata. 

Menziesia ferruginea. 

Sagebrush . _ ........ _ ..... _. _ ............ _ .................. Artemisia tridentata. 

Hazel ............................... _ ...................... Corylus rostrata. 

Snowberry . _ .................. _ .. _ ... _. _ .......... _ .... _ ... Symphoricarpos racemosus. 

Oregon grape .............. _ ....... __ ............ _ .......... Berberis aquafolium. 

Oregon grape ................... _ .... _ ...................... Berberis repens. 

Devil's club ............................. __ . _. __ ............ Echinopanax horridum. 

Manzanita ........... _ ............. _ ..... _ .. _ ........ __ ._ .... Arctostaphylos uva-ursi. 

Kinnikinick __ ...... _ ................. ___ . __ ................ Arctostaphylos nevadensis. 

Lonicera involucrata. 

Red currant __ .......... _. _ ....... _ .. ___ . _ ... _ .. ___ ... _ ..... Ribes sanguineum. 

Mountain salal .................. _ .... __ ... ___ .... _____ ...... Gaultheria ovatifolia. 

Red huckleberry ... __ ... __ .... __ .. _ ... _ ... _ ..... ___ ..... __ .. Vaccinium myrtillus microcephyllum. 

Black huckleberry ........ _ .... __ ........... __ ......... _ .... Vaccinium ovatum. 

Thimbleberry ..... __ . _ .. __ ... __ . _ .................. _ ....... Rubus nutkanus. 

Salmon berry _ ................................... _ ..... _ .... Rubus spectabilis. 

Blackberry ... __ ........ ___ ... _ .... _ .. _ .. _ ... _ .......... _ ... Rubus ursinus. 

Raspberry ..................... __ ... __ ...... ___ . __ ..... __ ... Rubus leucodermis. 

Prickly gooseberry .. _ .. ___ .... _ ... __ .. _._ .. ___ ..... ___ .. _ ... Ribes lacustre mollis. 

Black berried gooseberry ........... __ .. _ ... __ ~_ ..... _._ ... _ .. Ribes divaricatum. 
U.S . GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

30' 

PROFESSIONAL PAPER N0.6 PL. Ill 

MAP OF THE 

CENTRAL PORTION 

OF THE 

CASCADE MOUNTAINS 

WASHINGTON 

Sh.owing dish-ibution ofYellowpine o· 

(Pinus ponderosa) 

Scale 

PROPORTION 

TO 

TOTAJ. FOREST 

CJ Less ttum 10 per cenl 

50 " 

75 , 

, ... 

JUt..lUS BIEN a CO I..ITH.N.Y 
FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, WASHINGTON. 13 

DISTRIBUTION OF SPECIES BY ZONES. 

The various ~pecies of cone-bearers found in the State of Washington have generally been considered in four zones, although it is difficult, indeed, to establish a 

line of division at any altitude, owing to the fact that the species vary greatly in 

altitudinal range on opposite slopes of the mountain", and also according to conditions 

of exposure and moisture. The assignment of the various species to these zones was 

in conformity with the conditions found in the basins of streams tributary to 

Columbia River where it cuts the Cascade Range, in latitude 45° 30'. The four zones 

referred to are as follows: 

Forest zones in Washington at latitt~de 45° 30'. 

Yellow-pine zone .......... _ ........... _. ___ ............. _. _ .. _ ... __ .... _ .. _ _ _ Below 3, 000 feet 

Loclgepole-pine zone _____ .. _. _ ...... _________ .. _. _. ____ . ___ . _ .. _____ .. __ .. _ _ _ _ 3,000 to 5, 000 feet 

Subalpine-fir zone ______ ..... _ .. ___ .. ___ ... _ .... _. _______ .... ___________________ 5,000 to 6, 000 feet 

Whitebark-pine zone ... ___ ... __ ._. ______ ... ____ . ______ ._. ___ . 6, 000 to 7, 400 feet or to timber line 

The species are assigned to the zones as. follows: 

Species comprising forest zones in central Washington at latit·ude 45° 301 • 

YELLOW-PINE ZONE. 

Yell ow pine __ . _ .... _ ..... _ .. ____ .... __ .. _ . _ . ___ . _ . __ . ______ ......... _Pinus ponderso. 

Red and yellow fir ___ ........... __ .. _ . _ ... __ . __ . ______ . ____ . __ .. _ . _ .. _ Pseudotsuga taxifolia. 

'Vhite fir ___ .. _ ... ~ __ ... _. _. __ .... _. _. _. _ .. ___ . ___ . __ ~ _. _____ .... _____ Abies grandis. 

Red cedar ................. _____ .... _ . _____________________ .... __ . __ .. Thuja plicata. 

J,ODGEPOLE-PINE ZONE. 

Lodgepole pine._ .................... ___________ ..... __ ........... _ .. _Pinus murrayana. 

White pine ................. _._ ............ _ ........ __ ... _ .... _ ....... Pinus monticola. 

Engelmann spruce ....... _ ......... _ ................ _ ..... _ ...... _ .... Picea engelmanni. 

Yew. -............... __ ....................... _ ...... _ . _ ............. Taxus brevifolia. 

SUBALPINE-FIR ZONE. 

Subalpine fir ...... _. ___ ._ ...... _ ........ _._. __ ._·_ ....... _ ............ Abies lasiocarpa. 

Lovely fir_._ ........ _ .. _ ... _ .. _._ .... _ .. _ ... _._ ..... _~ ....... __ ...... Abies amabilis. 

Noble fir ........ _____ ............. _ ... _ ...... _ .... __ ....... _ ..... _._ .Abies nobilis. 

Mertens hemlock ........... _ ............. ___ .... _ ...... _ ... _ .... _ .... Tsuga mertensiana. 

Alaska cedar . __ ....... __ . __ ....... _____ ... _ ........ _ .... _ ............ Chamrecyparis nootkatensis. 

Tamarack ................ _ ... __ .... _._ ....... _ ...... _ .......... _._ ... Larix occidentalis. 

WHITE-BARK-PINE ZONE. 

·white-bark pine .......... _. __ .. _ .... _ ....... ___ ................ _ ..... Pinus albicaulis. 

Patton hemlock .. ___ .. _ ........ _ ... ___ ......... __ ..... _ ... ____ . _ .. __ .. Tsuga pattoniana. 

AI pine larch. __ .. _ . _ .. __ ..... _ .. _ . _ .. _ .. __ ...................... __ .... Larix I yallii. 

Creeping juniper .... ___ .•....•..... _. _ ••............. _. _ ............. Juniperus nana. 
14 FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, WASHINGTON. 

As might be expected, the assignment thus made will not apply to the area 

under consideration. The difference in latitude is not great, amounting to only 150 

miles, but the climatic eonditious are quite different, and compel a· new assignment 

of the species to these zones. It does not appear necessary to change the names of 

the zones, as the conditions are such as to warrant their use to the northern boundary 

of the United States, at latitude 4:9°. 

The accompanying diagram, Pl. VII (p. 20), shows the range and development 

of the trees having any value as timber, including some of the decidurn; and on 

comparison with a :-:;imilar diagram a prepared by me for the Mount Rainier Forest 

Re~erve, it shows a general lowering in altitude. The diagram made for the ~Iount 

Rainier Forest Reserve, with its average latitude of about 4:6° 30', shows an 

intermediary condition between the assignment just given for latitude 45° 30' and 

that which will now be given for latitude 47° 30'. 

Species comprising forest zones in central TVashington at latitude ,f7° 301 • 

YELLOW-PINE ZONE. 

Yellow pine ________________________ . _________ . ________________________ Pinus ponderosa. 

Red fir _____________________________________________________________ .Pseudotsuga taxifolia. 

White fir ____________________________________________________________ Abies gran dis. 

Red cedar ____________________________________________________________ Thuja plicata. 

Mertens hemlock _____________________________________________________ Tsuga mertensiana. 

LODGEPOLE-PINE ZONE. 

Lodgepole pine ______________________________________________________ .Pinus murrayana. 

White pine _____ - ___________________________________________________ .Pinus monticola. 

Engelmann spruce ____________________________________________________ Picea engelmanni. 

Noble fir ___________ . ________________________________ . _______________ .Abies nobilis. 

Lovely fir----- _____ - _- _______________________________________________ Abies amabilis. 

Tamarack- - - - ________________________________ . _______________________ Larix occidentalis. 

Alaska cedar ________________________________________________________ .Chamrecyparis nootkatensi11. 

Yew _________________________________________________________________ Taxus brevifolia. 

SUBALPINE-FIR ZONE. 

Subalpine fir _______________ . __________________ . ______________________ Abies lasiocarpa. 

Patton hemlock ___________________________________________ . __________ Tsuga pattoniana. 

WHITE-BARK-PINE ZONE. 

White-bark pine _______________________ . ______________________________ Pinus albicaulis. 

Alpine larch __________________________________________________________ Larix lyallii. 

Creeping juniper _____ . _____________________________________ . ________ .Juniperus nana. 

The range and development of the Alpine larch and creeping juniper are not 

shown on the diagram, as they did not deserve the extended observations necessary 

for their determination. 

a Twenty-first Ann. Rept. U.S. Geol. Survey, Pt. V, Pl. XLI, p. 102. 
En\igt 

/fi' " MAl-' OF THE / orondo 0 

' ORTION ~ CENTRAL p 

~r--. ~~oCASCAD J Eo~~UNTAlNS · ~ \V.ASHTNOTON . 

"'S: tlistribution of f: I Showw g s hemlock 

' Merten siana) (Tsugamerten 

Scale ."i ndle:~ 

PROPORTJON 

TOTAL Tr~OREST 

II L-J Less than LOper renl 

D About 25 per cenl 

50 " 
FORES'f• CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, WASHINGTON. 15 

EXAMINATIO~ OF A TYPICAL ACRE. 

For the purpose of making a detailed record of the amount of vegetable growth 

supported by the average soil of the Cascade 1\1ountains, an acre was measured near 

Martin, a station on the Northern Pacific Railway, in an area which had just been 

estimated as bearing 2,000 to 5,000 feet B. l\'1. per acre. Every tree and sapling, 

living or dead, was measured and counted. The result was 6,930.8 feet B. J\II., or 

1,930.8 feet more than the maximum of our estimate; hut this does not mean that 

the. estimate was erroneous. The fact is that a 1\liehigan mill would cut about 

±,000 feet from this acre, and a large western Washington mill would not touch it 

at all, for their cruisers would note so many piles, ties, telephone poles, or cords of 

wood, all roughly estimated, and pass on, looking for logs that would square at least 

14 inches at the small end. Therefore the following lists of coniferous trees, deciduom; trees, and shrubs and flowering plants will be found most interesting and valuable 

as eorrectly showing the yield of 1 acre of wild wood. 

Number and estimates of the tree.~fonnd on 1 acre, neat ]fartin.-Elez•ation 2,700 feet. 

Living. Dead. 

I 

Down. Total number feet B. M. log- gers' scale- (Doyle). 

~ ~: ~ ~ ~ ~--.- i .... · :-f!l~-~~~· ···~---~-~-~----- .S.& ... s .Ss ~~ .Ss ... §.S.& -;::~ a;; oo-::l -.:!< <ll 0~ Ql ""-.:!<ill 0 I 

~§~~ .8S '-'..., ~r:l ~;s .8S ~: . biJ •• ::::: ~ Q,) .c::.::l Q,) .;:l C) g) .c::.::l Q.) ~ : • 

Q.) v .s ~ ~ 'd O:l ~ ~ 'd .~ .c:: ~ 'd O:l ~ ~ ...; .. 'd 

> i:: .::: Q,) > ""~.s <li ~ p :E ~ o ...;< • .., o ~ o ..;<.so ~ p;. 1 

u H ~ --------~- -~- ------------,------- .. -"- --

Red fir (Pseudotsuga taxi- li I · I I 

folia)------------------- 25 7:18 7,231 37 30 ___ 1,-!72 21 8 2,892.-! 588.8 3,481.2 

Mertens hemlock ( Tsuga 

1 

I I 

mertensiana) ____________ 27 53 60 6, 065 : 9 _ _ _ _ _ _ 1, -!98 1 _ _ _ 2, 426. 0 599. 2 3, 025. 2 

White pine (Pinus manti- I 

cola) . . • . . . • . . . . • • • . . • • • • 3 7izl6 351 I ..... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ,I___ 140. 4 •• _ •.... 

1 

140. 4 

~~".':} !'_~_e_ ~~~~ .":~~:. . . . . . . 10 •••••• -I- ..................................... ·' ....... . Lovelyfir(Abiesamabilis)_ 1 10 50 384 !--- ______ ------- ___ ___ 145.61-------- 145.6 

Noble fir (Abies nobilis) ___ 1 1 ____ 3461 _________ ------- ___ ___ 138.-! 1-------- 138.4 

White fir (Abiesgrandis) ..... ··-1···· ····---1--- ................ 1 ......... 1 ••..•.•••••••••• 

Red cedar (Thuja plicata) __ ~~~~~~~.:_-~~~=~~=_!- ------------------------- Total _______________ .. 57 84 399 14, 377 i 46 30 _. _ 2, 970 4 11 5, 742. 8 1, 188.0 6, 930. 8 

i i i 

Species. 
16 FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, WASHINGTON. 

There were also found upon this acre the following deciduous trees and shrubs 

and flowering plants: 

Deciduon.s tree.s and .shrub.s and jlon·ering plant.s found on .sample acre near Martin, 1Yash. 

Populus trichocarpa. 

Salix glabra. 

Alnus viridus. 

Sorbus occidentalis. 

Acer circinatum. 

Amalanchier alnifolia. 

Xerophyllum tenax. 

Senecio triangularis. 

Chimaphila umbellata. 

Clintonia uniflora. 

DECIDUOUS TREES AND SHRUBS. 

Ribes cereum. 

Vicinium myrtilloides. 

Vicinium parviflorum. 

Berberis aquafolium. 

Pachystina myrsinites. 

Rosa gymnocarpa. 

FLOWERING PLANTS. 

Lillium columbianum. 

Linnre borealis. 

Epilobium angustifolium. 

Pedicularis contorta. 

DEFECTS .AND DISEASES OF TIMBER TREES. 

The forests of this region are, generally speaking, free from serious defects 

and disease. Those defects which exist are mostly attributable to old age, storms, 

and fire. 

Trees, like every other product of nature, reach an age of maturity. When 

the life-giving sap no longer ascends to their topmost branches to impart new 

life and strength, there follows a period, varying in length according to location 

and exposure, when the tree, like ripened fruit, is at its best. Following this 

come the elements of disease or decay, and the work of destruction begins either 

at the center of the base or at the crest, which the sap has failed to reach. 

Usually it is the former cause, the heart decay beginning before the top has 

ceased to grow. Year after year the disintegration goes on until the heart 

wood is entirely destroyed; but the old shell remains standing for many years, 

protected from the winds by the. surrounding trees. 

This IS the condition that prevails among the red firs (Pseudotsuga taxifob"a), 

Mertens hemlock (Tsuga mertensiana); white fir (Abies grandis), and some other 

species of the lower zones where no burns have taken place. Numerous old 

trunks of this kind may he seen which appear like solid shafts, hut an examination 

shows them to be thus defective. An estimate of a tract from which these are 

elimmated often materially reduces the amount of standing timber from what it 

appears to be at first glance. 

In the canyons and on sheltered slopes the conditions as stated above are 

common, but in the alpine or subalpine zones the fierce storms usually destroy the 
U.S . GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER NO 6 PL . V 

MAP OF THE 

CENTRAL PORTION 

OF THE 

WASHINGTON 

Showing distribution of 

Red cedar 

(Thuja plica ta) 

Scale 0 ~m.i lc ~ 

PROPORTION 

TO 

TOTAJ~ FOREST 

50 II 

. 

0 

JULIUS BIEN 6 CO. LtTI-t.N.Y 
MARKETS AND PRICES OF LUMBER. 17 

trees when the trunks become materially weakened. In these zones the greatest 

defect is what is commonly called "'wind shake." The lovely :fir (Abies amabilis) 

and Patton hemlock (Tsuga pattoniana) are the most frequently injured, showing 

wide seams from their bases almost to their tops. The white pine (Pinusmonticola), 

being soft and flexible~ does not suffer materially from this cause. Heart shake is 

common among the red :fir. 

Surface fires creep through the forests of yellow pine (Pinus ponderosa), 

burning the humus and litter, frequently running up the trees and igniting the 

resin which exudes from the trunk or base of the limbs. This results in cavities 

at the base and a loss to the logger of several feet of the '"butt cut." Many 

complaints are made by lumbermen in the yellow-pine regions of loose black knots, 

which lower the grade and consequently the market value of a large percentage 

of the contents of a tree. The cause of this is not obvious, but it is probably due to 

the annual growth of the tree covering the cambium bark of the limb. When the 

limb dies by fire or is cast off by natural growth and the knots are covered over 

by successive layers of wood and bark, the cambium disintegrates from around 

the body of the incased Jimb, with the result that the limb becomes loosened from 

the main body of the tree. Shrinkage of the dead wood may be also a factor in 

this result. 

Very little disease is apparent. Some mistletoe (Arceutlwbium) was seen In the 

yellow-pine zone, on the yellow and lodgepole Eines, but not in sufficient quantities 

to injure the trees. Lichen is mostly confined to dead trees in swampy localities. 

On steep hillsides avalanches do n1uch damage to timber by stripping off the 

bark or snapping off the trunks. Great weight of snow often tears the limbs from 

the trees. and water :finding lodgment in the cavities causes decay. 

MARI{ETS AND PRICES 01!., LUMBER. 

Among the timber cruisers and lumbermen west of the summit of the Cascade 

Mountains the red fir, the red cedar, the spruce, and sometimes the hemlock are 

known as timber, and if a section of land is called a "timber section" it is 

understood that it supports a sufficient stand of one or more of these species to 

make it worth cutting. But logging is by no means confined to the species mentioned, for when a logging road or tramway is once laid into a section it is the 

practice to remove everything of merchantable value. 

As the most extensive of the heaviest stands of timber are in the lower zone, 

below an altitude of 3,000 feet, and as these lower areas are the most accessible for 

logging, the species of trees there represented have become best knmyn commercially, but the time is not far distant when the noble fir, lovely fir, hemlock, Alaska 

~edar, and others, desirable for one purpose or another, will be favorably received 

9476-No. 6-02-2 
18 FOREST CONDITIONS IN OASCADE RANGE, WASHINGTON. 

in the market. Modern logging machinery and methods, as applied by skilled labor, 

have reduced the "inaccessible" areas to a minimum, and it may be truly said that 

no forest of desirable trees is beyond the possibility of attack. 

Aside from a very small local consumption, all the tim her of the western slope 

is tributary to the Puget Sound ports, for either the domestic or the foreign trade, 

both of which are steadily increasing. 

The current market prices (December, 1900) show a slight increase from a 

year ago, and the few following prices on red fir are given for information: 

Prices of lumber in Washington. 

Grade. Size. Finish. 

Per 1,000 feet B. M. atSeattleor North 

Tacoma. Yakima. 

Common. • • . • . • • . . • • • • 1 by 12 inches .......... ~ _ . . . . . Rough . • • • . • . .......• _ $7. 50 $13. 50 

Common ......... _.... 1 by 12 inches ... _. _ ......... _. · Surfaced two sides . . . . . 10. 50 16. 50 

Flooring V. G. No. 1. . . 1 by 4 inches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dressed and matched. _ _ 20. 00 25. 50 

FlooringV. G. No.2 ... 1 by4inches --------·--·--·--· ..••. do ----·····-·----.1 19.00 24.50 

CeilingNo.l. ......... !by6inches ·---·······------- Beadedorplain ........ 15.40 19.00 

Ceiling No. 2 . . . . . . . . . . ! by 6 inches .......... _ . . . . . . . . .... do . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14. 40 18. 00 

WainscoatingNo. 1. ... !by4inches ---·-········----- -----------·------------ 12.00 17.00 

Wainscoating No. 2.... ~ by 4 inches .... _. _ ................... _... . . . . . . . . . . . . 10. 00 15. 00 

Shiplap, common ...... 1 by8inches ---------····----- ----------··-··--------- 8.50 14.50 

Fencing No. 1 ..... _... 1 by 4 inches .. _ .. _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8. 00 15. 00 

Fencing No. 2 . . . . . . . . . 1 by 4 inches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7. 00 14. 00 

Pickets ... __ .......... 1 by 3 or H by It inches ..........................................•.... 

Lath .. _ ........... ___ . i- by 1! inches ·by 4 feet •..•••...................... _... a 2. 00 a 3. 00 

a Per 1,000. 

The prices on large or long timbers remain the same as given in my report on 

the Mount Rainier Forest Reserve. 

East of the summit of the Cascade Mountains yellow pine (Pintts ponderosa) 

comprises about 85 per cent of the total output of timber for economic uses. 

Fifteen sawmills are located on the eastern slope, and these are mostly small plants 

operated during the summer season to supply the local demand. This includes the 

materials for the construction of irrigation flumes and fences and for the manufacture 

of fruit boxes and crates to supply the demands of the enormous fruit-growi.ng 

industries of the Yakima, W enache, Entiat, and Chelan valleys. 

Red fir is cut where obtainable and used for various building purposes, but the 

wood is inferior to the soft growth of the moist western slope, being harder and 

much more brittle. According to a section foreman, railroad ties cut from red fir 

growing at high altitudes or on the eastern slope will last two years 1onger than 
U.S . GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 

I 

~ 

PROFESSIONAL PAPER NO. 6 PL . VI 

M:AP OF Tl!F: 

CENTRAL PORTION 

OF THE 

WASHINGTON 

Showing distribution ot' 

Engelmann spruce (Picea engebna.nni) 

ScaJe 

PROPORTION 

TO 

TOTAL FOREST 

50 )I 

, . .,. 

.. 0 

JUliUS BIEN A CO.L.ITH. NY 
DET.AILED DESCRIPTIONS OF AREAS. 19 

those cut from Puget Sound timber. Large amounts of red fir and yellow pine are 

cut for cord wood, and when contiguous to railroads are shipped to interior towns. 

During construction work on the Northern Pacific and Gre~t Northern railways 

some yellow pine, lovely fir, tamarack, Engelmann spruce, and red cedar were cut 

for bridge timbers and ties, but the total amount is insignificant. Some ties of red 

cedar are used by the Great Northern Railway; and although they resist decay, they , 

do not hold the spikes well and are therefore not as desirable as those made of 

tamarack or red fir. 

The market prices of yellow-pine lumqer which prevail throughout this region 

are as follows: 

Prices of yellow-pine lumber in central Washington. 

Clear, rough No. L .................................•.......... perMfeetB. M .• $16.00to$18.00 

Clear, rough No. 2 .................. ~ .............••...•••..•............. do.... 12. 00 to 14. 00 

Clear, rough No.3 .............................•..................•....... do.... 8.00 

Cord wood .................................. _ .................. per cord f.. o. b. • 2. 25 to 2. 50 

On Squillchuck Creek near W enache a small plant has been established for the 

purpose of manufacturing wooden irrigation pipe. This is done by sawing out 

the center of the sticks, which are from 6 to 12 inches in diameter and 10 feet in 

length. One end of the pip6 thus made is tapered, and the other end is reamed out 

to form a bell to receive the tapered end of the adjoining pipe. The pipe is laid 

underground and is claimed to be long lived. Yellow pine is preferred for this 

purpose, and the core of heartwood taken from the stick is used for fence pickets. 

If successful, this plant will be of great value to the farmers of that vicinity. 

DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF AREAS. 

SKYKOMISH RIVER WATERSHED. 

Prospecting and development work has progressed to a considerable extent and 

over large areas of this watershed, more particularly on the North Fork and its 

tributaries and on Millei· River and Money Creek. The Great Northern Railway 

follows the main valley to Stevens Pass, where a tunnel recently constructed passes 

under the summit, and the valley has thus been opened and its resources made 

tributary to points both east and west. 

Sawmills are in operation at Skykomish, Berlin, Baring, Index, and Gold Bar, 

all the finished lumber being shipped by rail excepting that for the small local 

demand at Skykomish and Index. The Skykomish River is drivable, and along its 

banks considerable cutting has been done, principally of cedar shingle bolts. This 

culling of individual trees at most accessible locations does not make a logged area, 

or necessarily precede the clearing of the bottom land for cultivation, but when 

clearings are made for that purpose· the timber is not wasted. Although 15,000 

acres of this valley are good agricultural land, only 90 acres are in cultivation. 
20 FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, WASHINGTON. 

Areas logged clean are often used for wild pasturage~ as the rich soil of these 

bottoms supports a good growth of grasses and weeds upon which stock do well. 

In such areas the stumps of trees and the stubble of young growth are generally left 

to rot until burned or grubbed out to prepare the surface for the plow. The clearing 

of such land is worth $100 to $150 per acre, and there is little or nothing saved by 

· waiting ten years, or even a lifetime, before removin({ the stumps. The stump of a 

newly cut tree burns better than a rotten one, or is lifted and split more thoroughly 

if powder be used. .It means hard work in any case, and the pioneer in such areas 

earns all that he gets and generally more. 

The land-classification map accompanying this report {Pl. I, in pocket) shows·the 

location of the burns. The fact that a line of burned areas closely follows the alignment of the Great Northern Railway strongly suggests that they originated from the 

construction and operation of the road. Details of dates and circumstances were not 

obtainable, for railroad men are of a roving disposition and none were met who had 

been there long enough to give any information. Other burns in this watershed, 

including those near Cady Pass, have spread from the fires of prospectors and campers. 

The principal timber trees are the red fir, red cedar, and hemlock. "''hite fir 

and Engelmann spruce are also found in considerable quantities in the valley bottoms. 

Lovely fir has a wide distribution in this watershed and is an important tree in the 

middle zones. White pine is represented in the mixed forests, but does not make a 

strong showing in battle .with the firs and cedars. 

Proportions and amounts of timber species in Skykomish River ~vatershed. 

Species. Per cent. Estimated B. M. 

Red fir ....... ,.. .............................................. _______ _ 35 1,127,393,750 

Mertens hemlock. __ ...... __ . _ ......................... _ ............. . 35 1,127,393, 750 

Red cedar ...................... ____ .... ___ .. _ ... __ .. __ .. ___ . __ . _ ... . 10 322,112,500 

:Lovely fir_ .......................... _ ..... __ ... ____ . _ . _ ... __ ........ . 10 322,112,500 

White fir ... _ . _ ......... _ ...... ___ ... _ .. ___ .... _____ . _ . _ ............ . 3 96,633,750 

Engehnann spruce ....... _ .. __ .. __ ....... _. ___ .... _ ............. -..... . 2 64,422,500 

5 161,056,250 

Subalpine fir ........ _____ ... ___ . __ ............ _ ............. _ .... ___ .. } 

Patton hemlock .... - -. -. - . -.. -........... -.. -.... --. -. - -- -- ---- ------ 1 

White-bark pine . _____ ........... __ ... __ ......... _ .... _ ........ _____ .I 

I 

Total ......................................................... -I 100 3,221,125,000 

TOLT RIVER WATERSHED. 

That portion of the Tolt watershed lying in ranges 9 and 10 east is covered by 

an unbroken forest of hemlock~ red fir, red cedar, lovely fir, and some white pine. 

This area is not traversed by any of the traveled routes across the Cascade 

Mountains, and this, together with the fact that it offers little to the prospector and 
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Popu Ius trichocarpa 

!\lnus oregona 

PoRulus tremui:Ji<:Jes 

Acer maJophyllum 

Th~ja plicata 

I Abies nobilis 

Tsuga mertensiana 

Abies gra~dis 

I Pseudotsuga taxifolia 

Pinus pdnderosa 

Larix occi ental;s 

Pinus mbnticola I 

Taxus Jrevifolia 

Pilcea engelman,ni 

Abies ama ilis 

Cha~recyparis noot 

Pinus murrayana 

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atensis 

Abies lasio.:arpa 

Tsuga patLniana 

Pinus albicaulis 

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TOLT AND SNOQUALMIE WATERSHEDS. 2i 

nothing to the stockman, has given it immunity from the destructionlikely to follow 

the advent of man. The stream is not drivable, but the timber will be quite accessible for skid roads and will find an easy outlet westward down the river valley. 

Proportions and amounts of timber species in Tolt River watershed. 

Species. Percent. Estimated B. M. 

Red fir .................... _ .................... ~ .............•..•.•. 35 106,333,500 

Mertens hemlock .......... _ .... _ ..... __ .. _ .. ___ ..... _ ...... _ .....••. 35 106,333,500 

Red cedar ........................................................•.. 10 30,381,000 

Lovely fir ................. _ ................. _ .................. __ .•.. 10 30,381,000 

White pine ......................................................... . 5 15,'190,500 

5 15,190,500 

White fir ............................................................ } 

Subalpine fir .................................... _ ................... . 

Patton hemlock ....................................... _ ............. . 

Total ............................• ___ . ___ .. __ . _ . _ . _ . __ ... __ ... _ . 100 303,810,000 

SNOQUALMIE RIVER WATERSHED. 

Three branches of the Snoqualmie, known as the North Fork, Middle Fork, and 

South Fork, drain this watershed. The two last mentioned rise in the main range 

of the Cascade Mountains, being separated from each other by a spur of the main 

range which ends in Grouse Ridge. 

A wagon road follows the South Fork to Snoqualmie Pass, thence into the 

Yakima watershed, and it is along or near this route that the forests of the Snoqualmie watershed have suffered by fire. The large burn on Denny Mountain was first 

fired in 1865, and in 1894 a second fire destroyed much of the restocking and included 

new areas of the forest. The destruction has been almost complete, and there is no 

immediate danger of a third fire in this area, as there is nothing to burn. Judging 

from the position of this area, these fires occurred during long and steady north 

windA, which prevented their spreading over the crAst of the hills into Pratt Creek 

Valley, and at the same time were not severe enough to cross the damp lands of the 

river bottom to the southward. On Teneriffe Peak the southern slope has been fired 

several times since 1893, and the area of timber destroyed extends more than 4 miles 

westward outside of the limits of the area mapped, and includes Mount Si, near the 

town of North Bend. 

The nearest sawmill is near North Bend, 4 miles west of Grouse Ridge. Logging 

operations on an extensive scale were contemplated in T. 23 N., R. 9 E., but the plans 

have not yet matured. The streams are drivable for the greater part of the year. 

These three forks of the Snoqualmie unite in T. 24 N., R. 8 E., about 3 miles 

above the falls where the plant of the Snoqualmie Falls Power Company is located. 

This plant supplies the citie:S of Taeoma and Seattle with electric power and li~ht, 
22 FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, WASHINGTON. 

over wires with a transmis~ion of 30,000 volts. The falls are 270 feet in height, and 

at the minimum flow of the river give 30,000 horsepower, of which 14,000 horsepower is now developed. As the supply of the river is derived mainly from the melting of ice and snow in the mountains, the importance to the Puget Sound cities of 

protecting this watershed is apparent. 

Considering the entire watershed, red fir and hemlock predominate, forming 

two-thirds of the timber. In the North Fork Basin there is an unusually heavy stand of 

hemlock, which, if considered with similar areas in the Skykomish watershed (shown 

on Pl. IV), shows a broken belt of hemlock extending southwesterly from Chusallie 

Pass. In the Middle Fork Basin red cedar forms large percentages of the forest, 

but only over small areas. A peculiar feature of its forests is that the narrow strip 

of sandy bottom land along the upper valley is timbered with hemlock, while the red 

cedars and red firs have their best development upon the adjacent hillsides, which 

are so moist as to support a luxuriant growth of ferns, mosses, and devil's club 

(Echinopanaw horridum). The South Fork also has a distinguishing feature in the 

high percentage of Engelmann spruce, which for a distance of 6 miles along the 

river benches has developed to an extent equaled only in the Cedar River Valley. 

Arable and cultivated lands in Snoqualmie watershed. 

land. 

Acres cultivated land. Portion of watershed. I Acres arable 

----------------------------------------------------~---------1---------

North Fork Valley ..................................................... ! 2,500 

Middle Fork Valley ...• __ ... __ .... _ ..... _ . _ .. _ ....... _ ....... _ .... _ . _ . _ 5, 000 

South Fork Valley . _. _ .. _ ..... _ ........ _ ... __ ...... _ ... __ .... _ .. _ ... _.. 1, 500 

18 

146 

113 

-------1---------

Total ............................................................ 1 

i 

9,000 277 

Propm·tions and amounts of tin1,ber species ·in Snoqualmie watershed. 

Species. Per cent. Estimated B. l\1. 

Red fir···················-··--···········-··············-··········- 35 779,012,500 

Mertens hemlock .................................................... . 30 667,725,000 

Red cedar ............................••............................. 10 222,575,000 

Lovely fir ..........•.••....................... _ ................ _ .... . 10 222,575,000 

Engelmann spruce ....••...•........... _ ............................ '. 7 155,802,500 

White pi!le .......... _ .............................................. . 3 66,772,500 

White fir .......... _ ..................•............ _ ... _ ........... _ •. 

Noble fir ........ _ .......................... _ ........... _ ............ . 

Subalpine fir ..... _ ............. _ ................ _ ................... . 5 111,287,500 

Patton hemlock ................... _ ......•........• _ ................ . 

White-bark pine ...............•••••••• -----· ........•.•...•......••.. 

Total ......................••.••••.......................•.•••• 100 2,225,750,000 
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF AREAS. 23 

CEDAR RIVER WATERSHED. 

It is :from this watershed that the city o:f Seattle draws its water supply :for 

domestic, manufacturing, and municipal purposes. Its area is only 62,n00 acres, 

but its location in a belt o:f abnormal precipitation insures an abundant supply 

at all seasons o:f the year. It is bounded on the north and eagt by high peaks, 

:fairly timbered, and in their present condition capable o:f holding the snows well 

into the dry season. The slopes south o:f the river are less abrupt, and, being 

more protected :from the sun's rays and the warm Chinook winds, will assist in 

giving the slow drainage desired to keep up the flow during the summer months. 

The preservation o:f the heavy :forests o:f the valley lands has been remarkable, 

:for the evidences o:f small fires started by pleasure seekers, fishermen, and campers 

are numerous, but in every case the fires have :failed to spread. The small burns 

in this watershed were upon the hillsides and occurred in s:mall timber. 

The moist valley lands are the home o:f the Engelmann spruce, red cedar, white 

pine, and white fir, which, added to the ever-present and· predominating red fir and 

hemlock, give a mixed :forest o:f unusual interest and beauty. It is entitled to the 

protection which its commercial importance demands. 

The arable lands o:f .Cedar River Valley have an extent o:f 1,000 acres, of which 

24 acres have been in cultivation, but are now abandoned. Not a living man, beast, 

or bird was seen or heard during the :four days spent there. The silence prevailing 

in this valley was very noticeable as compared with other portions o:f theW ashington 

forests over which n1y observations have extended, :for there is rarely a day that one 

may not hear the chajter o:f the squirrel, the stroke of a woodpecker, or the drum of 

a pheasant, or see the signs of bear, cougar, or deer. I have learned from others 

who have visited this valley that their experiences confirm the above. 

Proportions and amounts of timber species in Cedar River watershed. 

Species. Per cent. Estimated B. M. 

-------------

Red fir _________________ .. ____ .. _______________________________ ..•. _ . 40 194,520,000 

Mertens hemlock. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ____ . __ . ______________ ~ ______ \ 30 145,890,000 

Engelmann spruce _ . ________________________________________ . ___ ... _ . 10 48,630,000 

Red cedar •.......... ___________ . __ . _ . ___ . _______________________ .• __ 5 24,315,000 

I.ovely fir_ .. __ . __ . _________________________________________ .. ___ ...• _ 5 24,315,000 

White pine . ___ .... ________ ..... _______ . _ . _. ______ ............. _ .•.•. 3 14,589,000 

White fir . ______ . ___________________________________________ . _ . __ •.• _ 2 9,726,000 

~~~~f;c~e:::~-~-:~~~:~~~:-~~--:::~:~~~:-~~~~~~:~~:~~~~~~~~~~~~~} 5 24,315,000 

Total _ .• _ .. __ . ___ . _ . _ ..... _______ . ___________ . _____ . _ ...•... _ •. 100 486,300,000 
24 FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, WASHINGTON. 

GREEN RIVER WATERSHED. 

The area drained by Green River, comprising 95,500 acres, shows more evidences 

of extensive burns, both early and recent, than any other watershed examined. 

Seventeen thousand acres, or about 18 per cent of the total watershed, must be 

classified as ''burned," as the restocking is still in the sapling state, and of no 

merchantable value. 

The first of the destructive fires occurred about thirty-five years ago, as Indicated 

by individual red firs, hemlocks, and Engelmann spruces of that age which survived 

later fires. In the vicinity of Hot Springs the underbrush and second growth has 

been destroyed by fire several times during the last twelve years, and the oldest second 

growth now showing upon the hillsides is 17 years old. The standing dead snags of 

the former old growth are of no value. In the bottom or adjacent slopes of the 

canyon are several small patches of the original forest, in which the growth is thrifty, 

although the trunks are scorched to a height of 50 feet or more. 

During the last ten years three sawmills and two hotels have oeen destroyed 

by fire. 

A mill in sec. 13, T. 20 N., R. 9 E., cut considerable good timber for local use, and 

at Lester a mill has cut the timber on about 160 acres for lumber. The remainder 

of the cutting in this valley has been done by mills since removed or destroyed, and 

includes an area of 300 acres at Hot Springs, which was cut for local consumption. 

About 3,500 acres of bottom land in the Green River Valley may be called 

arable, but of this at least 80 per cent is of very poor quality. Volcanic rocks predominate in the form of ledges and large bowlders, and render the valley uninviting. 

The entire cultivated area is only 5 acres, but clover started ~ear Hot Springs has 

spread over 150 acres of the cut area and made a successful stand against the native 

weeds. 

Proportions and amounts of timber species in Green River watershed. 

Species Per cent. Estimated B. M. 

Red fir ___ . ___ . _ . _ .... _ .. ___ . _ ..... ___ . _ .. _ .. __ . ______ ..... _ . ___ . _ . _ . 45 168,356,250 

Mertens hemlock_ ..... _ .. __ . _ . __ .. _ ... __ . _ . _ . _ . ___ . _ . _ .. __ . _ . __ . ____ . 30 112,237,500 

Red cedar . ___ . _ . _ .... _ ... __ ..... _ . _______ ......... _____ ..... __ ... _ .. 5 18,706,250 

Lovely fir_ ...... __ . ___ .. __ .. _ ... _ ......... __ ... ___ ... ____ .... ___ .... . 5 18,706,250 

White fir .... ___ ... _ . _ .. _ .. _ ..... _ .... __ .. _ .. __ . ___ .... __________ . __ _ 5 18,706,250 

White pine _ .... __ .... _ ....... _ . __ . __ . ___ ..... __ .. _ ..... ____ .. _ . ___ . _ 3 11,223,750 

Noble fir ... __ ...... _ ... _ ...•.......... _ ........... __ .. _ .. ____ ... ___ .. 2 7,482,500 

5 18,706,250 

Subalp, ine fir ...... _ ... _ ............. _ . _ ... _ . ___ .... __ . ___ . _. _ . _ . _____ } 

Patton hemlock ... __ ........... _ ........ _ . _ .... __ ..... ___ ... _____ . _ . _ 

A Iaska cedar ........ _ .... _ ..... _ ... _ ..•.. _ .. __ ..•....... __ ... __ ..... . 

White-bark pine .. _ ..•••..••••.•••••••••••••••. _. _ .• _ •• _ •. _. __ .. _ ... . 

Total ••..•••.••••.•.••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.•. 100 374,125,000 
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF AREAS. 25 

WHITE RIVER WATERSHED. 

The main forks of White River are supplied by the glaciers and snow fie1ds on 

the northeast side of Mount Rainier. One of its principal nonglacialtributaries is 

the Greenwater, which heads in the Cascade Mountains and is within the limits of the 

examined area. 

The old Naches Pass trail, which, prior to the construction of the Northern Pacific 

Railway, was a well-traveled route from eastern Washington to Puget Sound, follows 

the Greenwater to the summit. Northward from a favorite camping place at the 

mouth of the Greenwater is an extensive burn, joining and probably synchronous 

with the large burn of the Green River Valley, which may thus be traced to campers 

and packers as well as to the right-of-way clearing of the Northern Pacific Railway. 

At and near Naches Pass, which is one day's travel f:rom the mouth of .Greenwater 

and a camping place, are several smaller burns in light timber. 

The heavy timber of the bottom lands is red fir, red cedar, hemlock, and Engelmann spruce; on the hillsides there is noble fir, lovely fir, white fir, white pine, and 

Alaska cedar. Four thousand acres of the bottom lands may be classed as arable, as 

the soil is rich and deep, well watered, and less than 2,000 feet above the sea, but the 

clearing of this land for the plow will be so-expensive as to be prohibitive for some 

time to come. 

Proportions and amounts of timber species in White River watershed. 

Species. Per cent. I 

I Estimated B. M. 

Red fir ............. _ . _ . ___ .. __ . ___ .. ____ .... _ . _ . __ .. __ . __ ..... ___ . __ 40 I 291,780,000 

15 I 109,417,500 

151 109,417,500 

101 72,945,000 

Red cedar .. __ . __ ........ ______ ..... ________________________________ _ 

Mertens hemlock _______________ . _________________ . ______ . ___________ _ 

Engelmann spruce ____________________ . ___________ . _______________ .. _ 

White pine . _ .. ___ . _________________________________________________ _ 5 I 36,472,500 

Lovely fir __ ._ . ______________ . __ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ___________ . ____ _ 5 36,472,500 

Noble fir _. ______ .. __________ . ____ . __ . ________________ .. ____________ _ 3 21,883,500 

White fir . _____________________________ . ____________________________ _ 2 14,589,000 

Subalpine fir __ . __ .. _________ . ______ . ___ . __________ . ____ . _____ . ___ . _. _ 

Lodgepole pine _____________ . ___ . ____________ . _______ ..... _ ..... _ . _ . _ 

Patton hemlock _____ . _______ -___ . __ .. _______ ._. _____ .... __ .. _._ ... ___ . 5 36,472,500 

Alaska cedar ... ____ . __ . ________________ .. ____________ .. _ .... _ . __ .. __ _ 

White-bark pine __________________________________________ ... _______ _ 

Total . ____ . _ ... ____ . __ . __ ... ____ ... __ ..... _ .... _ ...... ___ .. ___ _ 100 729,450,000 
26 FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, WASHINGTON. 

YAKIMA ·RIVER WATERSHED. 

The principal tributaries of Yakima River are the Kachess, Clealum, Teanaway, 

Swank, Taneum, and the Naneum. By the accepted nomenclature the main Yakima 

River heads near Snoqualmie Pass and runs through Keechelus Lake; but the 

Clealum is the longer and larger stream. 

The Snoqualmie Pass wagon road follows up the main Yakima Valley, past 

Keechelus Lake and over the summit, on a route which has been traveled for forty 

years. Considering this the examinations show a remarkably small proportion of 

burned area as compared with the regions lying immediately eastward, but the 

numerous small burns in the vicinity of Keechelus Lake prove that campers and 

packers were not overly careful, and also suggest, what observation shows to be a 

fact, that the local conditions of humidity are not favorable to the spreading of forest 

fires. The Keechelus Basin, lying east of the summit of the Cascades and paralleling 

it, is in what may be termed the "overlap," and shares the characteristics o:f the 

forests of both the eastern and western slopes, excepting only the open yellow-pine 

forests of the lower eastern slopes: The forests are very "spotted," and any of the 

species represented may predominate over a small area, and the general forest is 

very mixed as to species. Several of the small burns mentioned occurred in July, 

1865, and about the same time fire spread over considerable areas of Goat Mountain, 

south of the town of Easton. The year ~890 was a fruitful year :for burns, several of 

which were in the young trees that had restocked previous burns . 

.!.hove Keechelus Lake, more particularly on Gold Creek, there has been considerable prospecting for mineral. 

In the Kachess watershed, immediately eastward, the burns are of greater 

extent, and in the Clealum watershed, still farther east and within an area which has 

been both sheeped' and prospected, fires have done great damage in both light and 

heavy timber. The large burned area shown on the map at the headwaters of the 

Clealum and the Big Salmon Lasac rivers is the result of three fires, in 1888, 1895, 

and 1898. A few scattered areas of the first burn were not refired during the later 

burns and show a scanty restocking of lodgepole pine, but the remainder of this 

entire burn presents a scene of desolation not equaled on the eastern slope. In the 

vicinity of W apatos Lake the fires burned so deep into the soil as to absolutely 

destroy all vegetable matter, leaving only a clean surface of baked soil which will 

require a lifetime for nature to restock with timber. During the last season some 

fireweed (Epilobvum angustifolium) and a few other weeds have preempted claims 

which they alone can hold, but not a coniferous sapling is to be seen except along 

the borders of the standing forests where the humus was not utterly destroyed. 

From an inspection of the unharmed areas· of old growth bordering this burn 

it is assumed that the destroyed forest was of red fir, white pine, Alaska cedar, and 
YAKIMA WATERSHED. 27 

lovely fir. Near the head of the Big Salmon Lasac the Alaska cedar reached a high 

state of development, comprising at least 40 per cent of the forest. The board measure per acre of Alaska cedar never runs high, but the wood is the most valuable of 

the Washington woods, and this burn beyond doubt destroyed much of it. 

Southward from the area just described the country is scarred by dozens of 

burns, large and small, with outlines regular or irregular according to the conditions 

of exposure, the action of the winds, and the nature of the forest-destroyed. Details 

regarding these were not obtainable, only the general statement that hardly a year 

has passed since 1865 but fire has burned or reburned some area. Some of the 

restocking would indicate that the date might be set back to 1860. To the southward 

of Yakima River the tamarack has been the principal reclaimer of large areas, but in 

the restocked areas north of the main Yakima the condi~ions are varied, consistent 

with the very mixed bordering forests, from which a high wind may distribute the 

fertile seeds of the species ·when matured. 

The Teanaway country, together with the Taneum and all the favorable and 

accessible areas eastward, has been plentifully sheeped. The forests are general~y 

open, with very little forest litter, and are well watered. The lower country is well 

and permanently settled by industrious people, who Rppreciate the value of every 

little stream which may be diverted to make the naturally rich, but dry, soil productive 

and who deplore the existence of even the few burns which seem so insignificant 

when compared with those formerly described. The burns in this watershed as . 

mapped will be a startling expose of a threatening danger to the most important 

drainage basin in the State of Washington, so far as water supply for irrigation is 

concerned. 

About 22,000 acres of this watershed have been logged, and of this area 5,258 

acres are in cultivation. Mills have been operated at Easton, Big Creek, Roslyn, 

Clealum, Teanaway, Marysville, and in sec. 14, T. 20 N., R. 16 E. The mill at 

Marysville has a capacity of only 4,000 feet per day and supplies the local demand 

for the building of mining flumes and sluices. Along Swank River the cutting 

has been mainly for mining timbers, used in the placer diggings, which have been 

in operation for the last twenty years. Yell ow pine predominates in this region, 

but is not considered as desirable for mining purposes as red fir. The same is true 

at the coal mines at Roslyn and at Clealum, but at these points the local demand for 

building lumber is considerable. . 

Sixty-seven thousand acres are arable, and the location is better indicated on the 

map submitted herewith than it could be by a description. This estimate refers only 

to that portion of the Yakima watershed lying within the area examined. The estimates of the available lands lying outside, but which are largely dependent upon the 

upper watershed for water supply, are given under the heading "Irrigation." 
2 8 FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, W .ASHINGTON. 

Proportions and amounts of timber species in Yakima River watershed. 

- Species. Per cent. Estimated B. M. 

Yellow pine .... _ ..... ___ ..... ____ . ____ . _ . _ .... __ ................... - 50 1,305,250,000 

Red fir .... __ ... ______ ... ____________________________ ..... _ • _ ••.. ___ _ 20 522,100,000 

Mertens hemlock ........................................•..... -.. ·- -. - 10 261,050,000 

Red cedar .. ____ .... _ ..•....... __ .... __ .... _ ..................... -.. . 5 130,525,000 

Tamarack. ______ .. _._ •.... _ ... _._ ... ___ .... _ ............ -- .... --- .. -- 5 130,525,000 

Lovely fir. ____ .. __ ............ ___ . ____ .. ____ .. _ ..................... - 1 3 78,315,000 

2 52,210,000 

~n~~~~~-~~~~~~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::1 Wh. . ! 1te p1ne .............. __ .... _ ...... _ .............................. -

Noble fir .. _ . __ .. ___ .. _ .... ______ . __ .. __ .. _ ..... _ . _ .. _ ...... _ .... _ •. _ . 1 

Subalpine fir __ .. _. ___ ..... _. _____ . __ ................•................ :, 

Lodgepole pine _ .... _ ..... _ . __ . _ . __ ... _ ..•.........•........•...•.... 5 130,525,000 

Patton hemlock .... __ ... _________ ...... __ . _ ..... _ ........•........... 

Alaska cedar ... __ .. _ ... _______ .. __ .. ___ ... ___ .........••............. 

White-bark pine . _ ..... ____ .. ___ .. __ .. _ ...... _ ...........•••....••... 

Total ..... -... -. -. --. ---------- ----· -· ----· · · · · • · - ----· · · · · --· -I 100 2,610,500,000 

WENACHE RIVER WATERSHED. 

The important tributaries of the W enache River are the Little W enache, White, 

Nason, Icicle, Chiwawa, and Peshastin. 

The Little W enache enters Lake V\T enache through a wide bottom densely covered 

with a growth 'of deciduous underbrush and trees, the latter mainly willow, alder, 

and maple. In the upper basin is a fine forest of old-growth red fir, red cedar, 

white pine, and hemlock, besides a smaller growth of lovely fir. Some trees in this 

old growth have a diameter of 4 to 5 feet and make up a forest, such as is seldom 

seen in eastern Washington. This body of mixed growth extends along the river 

about 5 miles. Between it and the white-bark-pine zone the hemlock and lovely fir 

exclude all other species, except an occasional individual of the species named. At 

the forks of the Little W enache a terrific fire has burned along the main stream and 

a distance of 4 miles up the South Fork, destroying millions of feet of timber, 

including some of the best cedar in the canyon. Doubtless this fire started from an 

old trapper's cabin. A smaller and less destructive fire, about 4 miles east of Cady 

Pass, was traceable to a campfire built on the trail which leads across the summit. 

The forests of the Little W enache are such as would delight the heart of the 

forest lover, and it is to be regretted that the Wa~hington Forest Reserve does not 

include this watershed, or that protection of it is not assured from the destruction 

whiCh is sure to follow the coming of summer campers to this delightful region. 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER NO. 6 PL. VIII 

BURN NEAR BERLIN, ON GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY. 
WENACHE WATERSHED. 29 

White River also flows into Lake W enache. Its valley has ?een a favorite 

hunting ground for the Indians, as deer, goats, beaver, and small~r game were 

plentiful, and huckleberries were abundant on the hillsides which had been burned 

over many years before. About 2,000 acres of this valley is "beaver-dam" land and 

if cleared might be rated as agricultural, but its high elevation and position in relation to the mountains make this classification doubtful, and this area has not been 

included in estimating the arable lands of the Wenache watershed. It will, however, 

add to the value of this region for grazing purposes, as in its wild state it supports a 

rank growth of forage grasses. The evidences of very old burns are numerous, but 

restocking is well advanced. The causes of these old burns must be assigned to the 

Indians. 

Nason Creek, before the advent of the Great Northern Railway, bore much good 

timber, but fires set to clear the right of way during construction work spread over 

considerable areas of the valley and adjacent hills, and these, together with the cutting 

for railroad uses, have greatly reduced the amount of standing timber. The best 

timber of the upper basin was found in the vicinity of the Cascade tunnel, and· consisted of lovely fir, Patton hemlock, and Engelmann spruce, with some red cedar. 

Near Nason Creek station a mill having a daily capacity of 10,000 feet is in operation, and ships lumber to W enache. Between this point and Merritt are about 300 

acres of good hay land, but at an altitude which insures frosts every month of the 

year. The same is true of 250 acres lying beween the mouth of the creek and the 

point where the railroad leaves the creek. 

The pass through which the railroad runs via Skeeney Creek contains some 

good pine timber, but much of the best has been culled for. saw logs and cord 

wood. Large quantities of cord wood are shipped to the timberless areas of central 

Washington. 

Icicle Creek, from n point 3 miles above its junction with the W enache, flows 

through a narrow canyon with walls rising in places 5,000 feet on either side. Its 

watershed is an irregular triangle bounded by the main divide of the Cascades on the 

west, the Mount Stuart divide on the south, and the Chiwaukum Mountains on the 

northeast. These three snow- capped ranges compel an increased humidity and 

frequent storms during the summer season, which, together with melting snows, 

maintain a large and constant waterflow. Owing to the abnormal precipitation and 

the general inaccessibility of the watershed few burns have occurred and these are 

of small extent. The arable lands of Icicle Valley are at the mouth of the creek, 

where the bottom widens to join that of '\Venache River, and have an area of about 

1,200 acres, of which only one-third is good, the remainder being rocky. Excepting 

this tract the soil formation of the watershed eonsists principally of rock in the form 

of ledges and bowlders, owing to the wide range of ultitude; nevertheless, the v-alley 

• 
30 FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, W ASBINGTON. 

supports a varied growth of the forest trees. All of the coniferous timber trees 

were found, excepting the noble fir (Abie8 nobilis), and it is very probable that this 

species is represented by some individuals, as its northern limit of distribution is 

at least latitude 48°. Here was found the woolly larch (Lariw lyallii). 

The Chiwawa Valley, below the Washington Forest Reserve, varies in width 

from a half to three-fourths of a mile. The soil in the upper portion, near the 

reserve, is scoria sand and decomposed pumice overlying a deposit of gravel and 

bowlders, hence it is of very poor quality and utterly unfit for cultivation. It is the 

home of the lodgepole pine, which claims the entire bottom and extends far up on 

the hillsides of the western slope. The canyon is fairly well timbered, but the trees 

are mostly small or saplings. Many years ago extensive fires swept over this region, 

and these areas were reclaimed by the lodgepole pine assisted by the red fir, white 

fir, and the yellow pine in the more favored localities. Between Fish Lake and the 

Chiwawa is a dense growth of mixed species, including white pine. Some of this 

land, if cleared, would be fair agricultural land, but altitude and location are unfavorable, and the natural classification of the watershed is grazing land. 

On Peshastin Creek headwaters the forest cover is mainly a young growth of 

tamarack which many years ago reclaimed a large burned area .. Outside of this the 

yellow pine prevails, with some red fir and white fir and tamarack. The soi1 is rocky 

and extremely shallow throughout the canyon, and the only arable. land in the 

watershed is at the mouth of the creek and at a point called Camas La~d. Aside 

from its value as grazing land, which this watershed shares with almost every 

watershed on the eastern slope of the mountains, its value as mineral land has to 

some extent been demonstrated, and 1t follows that the timber, although of small 

size, already has a value for mining purposes. At Blewitt a 20-stamp mill handles 

the output of the mines, and a large number of tunnels have been driven into the 

mountains, all of whiCh requll'e more or less timber. Large numbers of poles have 

been cut in distant burns along the tops of the hills and slid down the mountains to 

the works. These are mostly tamarack, averaging 9 inches in diameter at the stump. 

In a short time this section will be denuded of .serviceable timber and the young 

growth of the canyons will be utihzed. 

In addition to the descriptions of the main tributaries as above given, there 

remaim; to be described the main W enache Valley. From Leavenworth to Columbia 

River, a distance of 25 miles, this valley, together with large areas of its adjoining 

slopes, IS arable and well situated for agricuLtural purposes and for irrigation. Out 

o£ a total of 48,000 acres of arable land, 5,565 acres are in cultivation, and the 

fertility Is therefore demonstrated. 

Forty years ago the first white settlers came to this valley and engaged in stock 

raising, tradmg, and packing. Near the mouth of the river some of the small 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER NO. 6 PL. IX 

.. ' 

A . RED FIR ON GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY. B. FOREST ON NORTHERN PACIFIC RAILWAY. 
ENTIAT WATERSHED. 31 

tributaries were diverted to irrigate garden patches, and since that time settlement 

has increased slowly but steadily. Before the building of the Great Northern 

Railway this region was approached by a road leading over the W enache Mountains, 

or in part by Columbia River, for theW enache itself is not navigable except for 

canoes, and then not at low water. Although the railroad has made the markets 

more accessible, and has stimulated industry to a considerable extent, still the 

increase in cultivated lands since the railway was built is not over 20 per cent of 

the total. 

Proportions and amounts of timber .c;pecies 1~n Wenache River 'watershed. 

Species. 

Yellow pine .......•••......... ~ ................•.......••........... 

Red fir ............... · ..•..•••..............................•...•.... 

Tamarack -----·----···············------------·---······-·····------

Red cedar----------·-················-----------·-·····------······· 

White fir •••.....................•..•....••............... , .•.•....•. 

Engelmann spruce _ ................................................. . 

Mertens hemlock_ .......................•....... _ ....•.............. _ 

White pine---------························~-----------------··----­

Lovely fir __ . _ ............••...••..•.. _ •............................... 

Noble fir .. ____ .............. ~ ......••............•. _ ................ . 

Subalpine fir .........••..•.•....•..•................................. 

Lodgepole pine ..............•..•.•.............. ___ .... _ ............ . 

Patton hemlock ...•.•...•.•••••..••.............. __ . _ ..... _ ......... . 

JLlaskacedar .........•..•..•..•.•........•........................... 

White-bark pine ...•....•..•.•.•...••................................ 

Total .......•.•••.•••••••..•.•...............................•. 

ENTIAT RIVER WATERSHED. 

Per cent. 

65 

20 

5 

3 

2 

5 

100 

Estimated B. M. 

1,019,850,000 

313,800,000 

78,450,000 

47,070,000 

31,380,000 

'78,450,000 

1,569,000,000 

Entiat River :flows through a deep canyon varying from a narrow gorge to a 

half mile in width. This canyon is settled to the northern line of township.27 north, 

a distance of about 20 miles, but many of the locations are abandoned the greater 

part of the year. Hay and cattle are the principal products of the upper valley. 

For a distance of 4 miles upstream from the mouth of the Entiat there is no timber, 

and in this region hay and fruit are the most important . products. Fruit of an 

excellent quality is produced in abundance, and finds its local market at W enache 

via the small steamers which ply Columbia River. From Wenache the distribution 

is made by the Great Northern Railway to points both east and west. 

Irrigation is required for all crops. The soil is mostly light sand and decomposed country rock, and varies in depth "from ·a few inches to 20 feet, w1th some 
32 FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, WASHINGTON. 

fine black loam in the basins of the upper valley. Beds of washed gravel and rock 

occupy much of the surface, and in the vicinity of Lake Creek showers of scoria 

have covered the ground to a depth of a foot or more. 

The upper basins are covered by a dense growth of birch, quaking aspen, 

willows, a'nd other shrubs, which have formed a deep vegetable mold. Of this 

land there is not more than 300 acres. In the entire valley there are 516 acres in 

cultivation, most of which is in the timberless area near the mouth of the river, 

where about 1,000 acres' are under irrigation ditches. The amount of arable land in 

the valley is estimated at 4,900 acres. 

Below the subalpine zone the timber consists of 90 per cent yellow pine, with 

some red fir, and in the moist places with white fir, Engelmann spruce, and 

occasionally white pine above 2,000 feet. 

On the high divides between Entiat and Mad rivers extensive burns occurred 

years ago, and the very life was burned out of the soil, leaving it poor indeed. 

Here the lodgepole pine has demonstrated its wonderful restocking properties, and 

hundreds of acres have been reclaimed where other trees could not find sufficient 

nourishment in the soil to promote growth. Large areas of saplings were found 

where they grew like grain in a field-as many as forty to the square yard-varying 

from one-half inch to 4 inches in diameter and from 5 to 30 years in age. While 

this pine is an active reclaimer it is, unfortunately, short lived, and as a result the 

ground is sometimes coverP-d to a depth of 4 feet with dead trees. These are a constant menace to succeeding growth, but in time these accretions form a litter and 

humus sufficient to promote the growth of other species, and under this protection 

a forest cover of a more permanent nature r~sults. 

The subalpine fir prevails at the higher altitudes, and the white-bark pine covers 

the summits in its characteristic manner. 

Lumbering has been carried on during the last nine years. Two mills have 

been constructed, one of which, a small plant built in 1899, has cut only a few 

thousand feet. The· Entiat Lumber Mills have a capacity of 10,000 feet daily, and 

have cut about 3,500,000 feet under the present management. The logs for these 

mills are driven down the Entiat during the high stage of the river, which usually 

occurs in May. All the cutting has been done on the river banks or culled from the 

slopes immediately above. Where ground has 'been cleared for cultivation the logs 

have been purchased from the settlers. Driving is expensive and the demand for 

·lumber is not brisk except for the manufacture of fruit boxes. 

Frequent earthquake shocks of slight intensity are a feature of this section. 
U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROFESSIONAL PAPER NO. 6 PL. X 

A HEAVY STAND OF RED FIR. B HEMLOCK ON MIDDLE FORK OF SNOQUALMIE RIVER. 
ENTIAT AND LAKE CHELAN WATERSHEDS. 33 

Proportions and amounts of timber species in Entiat River watershed. 

~-~~-~-·~--.. ~----~~-~----------

Species. Per cent. J Estimated B. M. 

-------------------------1-------, 

Yell ow pine ______ .... ____ • _ .... _______ - __ . ___ - _ . ___ - _______________ . 

Red fir ____ . __ . _____ - _______________________________________ . ____ . _ .. 

~:~::~:- ~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~I Engeln'lann spruce ____ ... _ . ____ . ____________ . ________ ~ _______ . _______ _ 

Mertens hemlock. _____________ .. __ . __ ._ .. ___ ._ ..... __ ._._ .... _ ...... . 

White pine ..... _ ...... ···········--·--······ ...•.................... 

White fir····················-·····-···········--···················· 

Noble fir .................. _. _ .... _ ..........•..•...... _ ....•......... 

Subalpine fir ... _ ..... _ ..... _ ...... _ ....... ___ .......•......... _ .....•. 

Patton hemlock . _ ... _____ . ___ ... ____ . _________ ~ _ . _______ •. _. ________ _ 

75 

15 

5 

5 

277,462,500 

55,492,500 

18,497,500 

18,497,500 

White-bark pine .. -... -... -.--.-------------- ---- ------- · · · · · · · · · · · · · 1 

Total ............................... _ .................... _ ...... 1

1

- -~1-00-~--3-69-,-9-50-,-000-

LAKE CHELAN WATERSHED. 

The major portion of Lake Chelan is within the W a1::1hington Forest Reserve, 

and north of township 28 north. The lower end of the lake extends into the great 

timberless area of eastern Washington, although the bordering hills are fairly well 

timbered. Yellow pine is the prevailing species, with some red fir ~n the hills above 

· 2,500 feet. Most of the timber is small, ranging from 6 to 20 inches in diameter, 

and is seldom clear. In such a forest logging is simply a culling out of the best 

trees, the remainder being fit opJy for posts or fencing. 

There is a sawmill at Lakeside which has been in operation about seven years, 

and has cut on an average 400,000 feet B. M. per annum. Under the same managenlent a small portable mill will be operated in the newly settled basin north of 

Chelan. The two mills will have a capacity of 1,000,000 feet yearly, all of which 

will be for local consumption. Most of the logs are brought down from the head of 

the lake and are handled with very little waste. 

Bordering the lower end of the lake is an area of about 27,000 acres of unusually 

fertile land. In striking contrast to the conditions prevailing in the lower areas of 

the Entiat and Wenache watersheds, this soil produces fine crops of fruit and grain 

without irrigation. Farms are cultivated more than 1,000 feet above the lake, where 

no running water is to he seen. The orchards make a remarkably quick growth and 

the fruit is of the finest quality. 

9476-No. 6-02--3 
• 

34 FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, W .ASHINGTON. 

Proportions and amottnts of timber species in Lake Chelan watershed. 

Yellow pine ___ . _______ --------:~:~~"· _______ --- __________ ------ ______ I Pe<c-e:~ I-E-st-im-:-:-~-7:-~-~-~0-0 Red fir _____________________________ .. _ .. __ . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 10 11, 150, 000 

Lodgepole pine _______ . ____________________________________________ . __ ) 

Subalpine fir ________________________________________________________ _ 

Patton hemloek _____________________________________________________ _ 

'Vhite-bark pine _______ . ___ ~ ________________________________________ _ 

5 5,575,000 

- ~ ----1------ Total _________________________________________________________ _ 100 111,500,000 

SUMMARY. 

Stand of timber in central WasMngton. 

Watershed. Ar<•a. f-\tand. 

I Average ,

1 

stand per acre. 

-- -~------------~---------- ,-------- -------------

Skykomish _________________________________________ . __ I 

Tolt ____ •. _ - ___ - _ - _ ---- - - _ ------- ---- - - - --- - - - ----- ----I 

Snoqualmie __________________________ . _________________ i 

~:~::~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~-~~~~~~~~~~~~~ White ______________________ . _________________________ _ 

Yakima _________________________________________ - _ - _ - _ 

"\V enache _______________ .. ____________________________ _ 

~::~:.::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: :! 

Acre~. 

364,800 

36,460 

190,000 

56,100 

76,750 

48,060 

570,000 

686,200 

175,500 

89,000 

Prxt B ... lf. 

8,221,125,000 

808,810,000 

2,225,750,000 

486,300,000 

374,125,000 

729,450,000 

2,610,500,000 

1, 569, 000, 000 : 

369,950, ooo I 

111,500,000 

12, 001, 510, 000 1 

Total. ____________________________ .. _____ ~ _ . _____ -~-2-, 2_9_2_, 8-7-0-l------~ 

{}lass{fication of lands in central Washington. 

Watershed. Total. 

.Feet B.Jf. 

8,800 

8,300 

11,700 

8, 700 

4,900 

15,200 

4,600 

2,300 

2,100 

1,250 

5,230 
U. S. GEOL,OGICAL SURVEY 

A . RED CEDAR, 20 FEET IN D lAM ETER. B . HEM LOC~ . MAPLE, AND ALDER. 
FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, WASHINGTON. 35 

IHRIGA'riON. 

It· i~ e~timated that there are five million acres of arid land in the State of 

'Va~hington, all of whieh is in the central portion of th3 State, east of the Cascude 

:Mountains and in the clr::tinage basin of Columbia River. An estimate of the irrigation pos~:;ibilities of these five million acres, as determined from data furnished by the 

Northern Pacific Railway Company, and from other sources, is as follows: . 

E.~timate of irrigation possibilities 'in central Washington. 

Acres. 

Under constructed canals and in cultivation .. : .... __ ................... __ . _. __ . _....... 150,000 

Under constructed canals, not in cultivation __ .. __ . _____ .. ________ .. __ .. __ .. ___ . ___ ..... _ 100, 000 

Under canals surveyed but not constructed, and the feasibility of which, at reasonable 

cost, has been determined __ .. ____ .. .". ___________ . ____ .... __ .. ______ .. _____ ._ .. _ .. _._ 1, 080, 000 

Under canals projected, but feasibility at a reasonable cost is undetermined. ___ ... ___ .. __ . 510, 000 

Balance, presumed to be above possibility of irrigation, at cost justified by present conditions ____ . _ . __ . _______ . __ . __ . _ . __ . __ . _ . _ . ____ . __ . ____ . ____ . __________ . ___ . _. __ . ___ . _ 3, 160, 000 

Total. ____ . _____ . ____ . _ . ___ .: _ ... ___ . __ . _ .... ___ .. _ ... _______ . _____ . __ . _____ .. __ . 5, 000, 000 

The Cascades and the other mountain ranges which encircle the arid district 

will afford, if properly conserved, an adequate supply of water for all of the land 

that can be watered within the limits of reasonable cost. As Columbia River flows 

through the arid district in a narrow, deep valley having steep slopes, it afl'ords 

hut few opportunities for irrigation. Its main tributaries, with the exception of 

Snake River, offer more favorable conditions, and in this respect Yakima River is 

the most important in the State. 

Of the total of 250,000 acres now under constructed eanals, 203,900 acres are 

supplied by Yakima River and its tributaries. Of this latter area, the drainage 

basin of Yakima River as covered by this report is the sole supply for 12,750 acres, 

and furnishes 68 per cent of the water for the remaining 191,150 acres. 

Out of the 1,080,000 acres set forth above that can be irrigated at reasonable 

cost, 785,000 acres are in the Yakima watershed and will be dependent upon the area 

treated in this report for about 25 per cent of their water supply. 

From careful estimates it appears that there are at present 131,260 acres of ariel 

land dependent for their water supply upon that portion of the Yakima watershed 

treated in this report, and that this dependent area will eventually be increased to 

325,700 acres when the proposed canals are constructed. To irrigate this greater 

area there will be required about 2,000 cubic feet per second of time, and as the 

minimum flow of Yakima River is only 800 second-feet, recourse must be had to 

storage for the additional 1,200 feet. Three lakes, the Keechelus, Kachess, and 
36 FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANGE, WASHINGTON. 

Clealum, are well situated for the impounding. of a reserve supply, and have areas 

and capacities as follow.s: 

Areas and capacities of Lakes Keechelus, Kachas, and Cleabun. 

Lake. He;ghtof I Area. proposed Capacity. 

dam. 

----

Acres. I Feet. Acre-feet. 

Keechelus. __ . __ ... __ ... __ .. _ .......... _____ .. ____ .... ____ . _ .. . 1,812 30 50,800 

Kachess .... __ .... __ ..... ___ .. __ .. ___ . ___ ..... ___ ......... - - __ _ 3,968 . 30 91,000 

Clealum. _ ... ____ . ___ ... __ . __ . ____ . ___ . ___________________ . _ ... ! 2,615 30 65,400 

8,395 . ------.-·I 207,200 

-------1--------1---------

---Tot~L. _. _ ... __ .. ____ . _ ·-=~~-~=--~ ~ ___ . _______ . __ --'-~----'--------'----

This storage will furnish 1,200 cubic feet per second for 8'7 days, no ~llowance 

being made for evaporation or contingencie.s. It is confidently believed that this 

storage will be a safe insurance against any unusual season of drought. 

From all the above it wiH be evident that the construction of these reservoirs 

and the preservation of their natural watersheds is imperative. This means that 

logging should be done under proper restrictions, and that the wanton destruction of 

the forests by fire must cease. 

In the W enache and Entiat watersheds the conditions are not so urgent. The 

areas which can be covered by gravity canals are small, and the supply is ample. 

At present the W enache covers 17,000 acres of land, and feasible canals projected 

will increase this to 23,500 acres. The Entiat supplies about 1,000 acres. 

GRAZING. 

In the area treated in this report grazing is confined to the eastern slope. A 

few horses, most of which are Indian cayuses, range upon the bunch-grass hills near 

Columbia River. But few cattle are raised aside from those kept for domestic 

purposes. 

Owing to the extreme roughness of a large portion of this area, cut and broken 

as it is by steep rocky ridges and precipitous canyon walls, sheep grazing is practicable only in certain limited tracts. As yet it is eonfined to the Yakima slope south of 

Clealum, the Teanaway and its tributaries, the high divide extending from Columbia 

River westward to Mount Stuart, the southern slope of Mount Stuart, and the 

Entiat and l\Iad Rirer divides near the 'Vashington Forest Reserve. Sheep are 

driven into this area from Yakima, Ellensburg, from east of the Columbia River, 

and even from Oregon. 

The sheepmen complain of the range being overstocked. One owner declared 

that if some new -pasture is not discovered the sheep will die in the hills, 
GRAZING. 37 

Starting in the early spring, as soon as the lambing season is over, they leave 

the low hills along· Columbia River and are driven toward the high mountains, which 

are reached soon after the winter ~mows have melted. Here they n1ust remaili until 

the fall rains haye caused the grass to grow in the- lowlands. Forage plants do not 

grow profusely in any of these sections. At the lower altitudes, among the pine 

woods, the pine grass ( Oalanu~grost£s sul£~sdm:fi) is the most important. Sheep do 

not relish this grass, eating it only when nothing else is to be found. They pass 

over this very rapidly, and large areas are required to keep thern constantly in fresh 

pasture. One band was seen on the Middle Fork of the Teanaway where the hills 

were covered with this grass, but it seemed to be almost untouched. The sheep were 

gathered in the ravines, browsing upon wild cherry, hazel, and vine maple. In the 

grazing areas there is very little underbrush except in the moist canyons and ravines, 

which a1;e often inaccessible. At the high altitudes, such as the divides running 

down from Mount Stuart, various alpine grasses are found which make very deBirable feed. Fat formed from this dry feed is much harder than that gained from the 

soft watery grasses of the swamps. 

About the head of Mad River and the Entiat, grazing is n10stly done at the 

altitudes above the yellow-pine zone, where a scrubby growth of subalpine fir, 

white-bark pine, and lodgepole pine forms a scattered forest which has been greatly 

reduced by fire. \Villow, huckleberry, pea vine, lupine, and various grasses and 

juncus have covered the hillsides, but the trampling and cutting of thousands of hoofs 

has in many places denuded the ground of every trace of vegetation. 

Upward of 60,000 sheep were said to be ranging in this section and upon the 

tributaries of Entiat River in the Washington Forest Reserve. About 15,000 were 

reported on the Teanaway, and a number.of bands were in the Mount Stuart region. 

MINERAL ~PRINGS. 

Springs of mineral, sulphur, or soda water are not uncommon in the Cascade 

Mountains, and there are some deserving of men,tion. 

At Hot Springs, a station on the Northern Pacific Railway, there are five springs 

which have become well known by reason of their desirable medicinal properties and 

their accessibility. At ~his point a large hotel is being built to replace one destroyed 

by fire in 1899. Three of these springs have temperatures of from 120° to 122° F., 

and can therefore be used for bathing and heating purposes. 
38 FOREST CONDITIONS IN CASCADE RANG E. WASHINGTON. 

An~tlyses made in 1893 gave results as follows: 

Analyses of wata .f1'om mineral spring8 near Hot Springs station, Wash. 

I 

Constituent. No.1. 1 No.2. No.3. · I 

~- -----~--~--------~ ------- ~--·- ----- -·-----_ -~-G-ra-in-s-pe-r-ga-t.j~·;ctins per gal. ~-;;-rains p~r gal. 

Sulphate of lime_ .. ___ .. __ ..... __ .......................... 1. 3707 1 1. 33L5 0. 7358 

Sulphate of potash _ .. ____ . _________ . _______ .. _. ____ . _______ j 2. 1666 ' 2. 4353 1. 2439 

Sulphate of soda ___________________________________________ I.__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 1. 5417 

Chloride of potassium ______ .. _. ____ .. __ ... _. ______ ._. ______ I 10.4302 12. 1715 _. _. ____ . __ . 

Chloride of sodium. ___ .. _ .. ____________ . ___ . ____ ._. __ ._____ 2. 7.564 1. 2964 9 .. 5762 

Chloride of magnesium __ . ____ . _ . _______ ... _ . ________ . ____ _ 

Chloride of iron _. _____ . __ ... _ _. _ ..... __ . _ . _____ . ____ .. __ . 

0.5840 

0.1810 

Carbonate of soda .. __ ._. ____ .. _. __ ... _____ .. _______ .. _____ . ___ . _. ____ _ 

Carbonate of magnesia ______ .. _. ___ . ___ ... _____ .. _____ . ____ . __________ . 

Trace. 

0.1343 

----- ------I 

-----------1 I Carbcinate of iron . _. __ . _. __ . ____ .. _______ . __ . ____ . ____ . ____ ' _______________________ _ 

Silica __ .... _ .... _ ..... _ . __ . __ .. _____ .. _ ..... _. _ .. ____ . ____ ' 4. 5552 I 5. 0808 

Lithia_ ..... ____ . ___ . ____ .... __ . __________ ... ___ . __ ...... _ Trace. 1 Trace. 

! ____ _ 

0.8234 

0.0701 

0.0408 

4. U79 

Trace. 

On Burnt Boot Creek, a half mile distant from the Middle F-ork of Snoqualmie 

River, are several large springs having excellent properties for the treatment of 

rheumatism. Prospeetors have quarried out of the solid rock a bath tub of liberal 

dimensions, and if these springs were made accessible they would become popular. 

Even in their present condition they have been tested, as evidenced ·by crutches and 

canes found in that vicinity. 

At ::Madison, on the line of the Great Northern Railway, is a hot sulphur spring, 

very similar in taste and temperature to those at Hot Springs on the Northern 

Pacific Railway, of which analyses are given above. A three-story hotel is in course 

of eonstruction at this point, and it will undoubtedly prove a popular resort. 

On the bank of Money Creek, about 5 miles above Berlin, on the Great Northern Railway, is a small spring said to contain soda and iron, but no chemical analysis 

has yet been made. Gl\s constantly escapes fron1 the water. The ·taste is not 

unpleasant. This spring is always visited by passing miners, and during the ·summer months parties frequently camp in the vicinity, to avail themselves of the 

waters. 

On the North Fork of Skykomish River, 5 miles east of Galena, are several 

large mineral springs, both hot and cold. Being located in a mineral region which 

has been pretty well explored, these springs are well known to prospectors, but they 

have no general reputation. 

Near Peshastin Creek, in sec. 22, T. 20 N., R. 17 E., is a cold sulphur spring 

which is generally ('Onsidered to possess exeellent health-giving properties. In 
:MtNERAL SPRINGS. 39 

years gone by it was a favorite camping place for the Indian tribes, who came from 

afar to bathe in its waters. A crude bath house is maintained hy persons who have 

located at this point, but being remote from the main traveled routes, the spring is 

not of much importance. 

On the Little W enache River, about. 8 miles above Lake W enache, there is 

said to be a large soda spring of excellent quality. As its exact location was not 

learned, it was not visited. It is difficult of access and visited only by hunters. It 

will in time add to the attractions of Lake W enache, which is destined to become a 

popular summer resort. 

INDEX. 

Page. 

Alder, plate showing .. . . .. . . .. . . . .. .. . . . .. . .. .. . . . . . .. 34 

Arable land, extent of ....... :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9, 34 

Arid land, extent of................................... 35 

Avalanches, damage to timber by..................... 17 

Baring, sawmills at.................................... 19 

Berlin, burn near, plate showing...................... 28 

sawmills at........................................ 19 

spring near, features of............................ 38 

Big Creek, sawmill at............................. .. . .. 27 

Big Salmon Lasac River, burned area at headwaters 

of ................................. ~ ..... , .. 26,27 

Burned area, extent of .. .. .. . . . . .. . .. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. . 34 

Burnt Boot Creek, springs on, features of............. 38 

Cady PaR!'!, fires near, origin of. ........................ 20,28 

Cascade Mountains, soil of, vegetable growth supported by • ................... _........ . . . . . 1"5-16 

Cedar, red, distribution of, map showing.............. 16 

plate showing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

railroad ties cut from.............................. 19 

Cedar River, Engelmann ~pruce in valley of, reference 

to.......................................... 22 

water supply of Seattle from ................... 10-11,23 

watershed of, features of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 

lands in, character aud extent of.............. 23 

lands in, classification of . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

rainfall in . . .. .. .. .. .. . . .. . .. . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

timber in, proportions and amounts of ........ 23,34 

Ceiling, prices of....................................... 18 

Chelan Lake, timber conditions near . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

watershed of, features of .......................... 33-34 

lands in, classification of . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

orchards in . .. . .. . . . .. . . . . .. . .. • . . .. .. . .. .. . .. . li3 

timber in, proportions and amounts of. . . . . . . . 34 

Chiwawa River, land and timber in valley of......... 30 

Classification of lands, table showing................. 34 

Clealum, sawmill at................................... 27 

Clealum, Lake, area and capacity of................... 36 

Clealum River, burns in watershed of, destruction by. 26 

Clearwater, rainfall at, reference to .....•... ~......... 10 

Climate, character of.................................. 10 

Columbia River, arid land in drainage basin of....... 35 

Conifers, distribution of, by zones ..................... 13-14 

list of.............................................. 11 

Cultivated land, table showing........................ 34 

Denny Mountain, bums on............................ 21 

Earthquake shocks, occurrence of, in Entiat River 

watershed . . . .. .. . . . .. . .. . .. .. .. . . . . . . .. . .. 32 

Easton, fires south of . . .. .. . .. . .. .. . .. . .. .. . . . .. .. . .. .. 26 

sawmill at......................................... 27 

Engelmann spruce, map showing distribution of...... 18 

Entiat Lumber Mills, capacity of...................... 32 

Entiat River, irrigation from .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. . .. .. .. .. .. 36 

Page. 

Entiat River, valley of, character of................... 31 

cultivated land in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 

soil in, character of. ........................... 31-32 

timber conditions in........................... 32 

watershed of, earthquake 8hocks in....... . . . . . . . . 32 

features of. .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. . . .. .. . . .. . .. . .. . . 31-33 

lands in, clas8ification of...................... 34 

timber in, proportions and amounts of ........ 33,34 

Fencing, prices of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 

Fir, red, character and use of. ......................... 18-19 

distribution of, map showing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

on Great Northern Railway, plate showing........ 30 

plate showing heavy stand of...................... 32 

prices of .. .. . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . .. .. . . .. . . . .. . . . . .. .. . . 18 

Fires, destruction by.......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 

effects of, plate showing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

Flooring, prices of .. .. . .. .. . .. .. .. .. . .. . .. .. .. . .. .. .. .. 18 

Forest on Northern Pacific Railway, plate showing... 30 

Forest zones in central Washington, species compris· 

ing ........................................ 13,14 

Ga.lena, springs near . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 

Goat Mou1!.tain, fires on................................ 26 

Gold Bar, sawmills at.................................. 19 

Gold Creek, pro>pecting for mitieral on. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

Grazing in the region .................................. 36-37 

Great Northern Railway, protection of roadbed of.... 11 

Green River, valley of, character of land in........... 24 

watershed of, burns in.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 

features of ........................... :......... 24 

lands in, classification of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

timber in, proportions and amounts of ......... 24,34 

Hemlock, map showing distribution of................ 14 

platei'l showing.... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 34 

Hot Springs, fires near, destruction by................. 24 

springs near, analyses of water from.............. 38 

springs near, features of........................... 37 

Hydrography of the region ............................ 10-11 

Icicle Creek, features of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 

Icicle Valley, lands in, character of.................... 29 

timber conditions in ........•..................... ~ 29-30 

Index, sawmills at..................................... 19 

Irrigated land, table showing.......................... 34 

Irrigation, discussion of ...... :. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35-36 

estimate of possibilities of. ....... ~......... .. .. .. . 35 

manufacture of wooden pipes for.......... . . . . . . . . 19 

Kachess, Lake, area and capacity of... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 

Kachess River, burns in watershed of, extent of....... 26 

Keechelus Basin, forests of, character of............... 26 

Keechelus Lake, area and capacity of • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 

burns in vicinity of................................ 26 

prospecting for mineral near............ . .. . . . . . . . 26 

Lake Creek, scoria in vicinity of .. .. .. .. . .. . .. .. .. .. .. 32 

41 
42 INDEX. 

Page. 

Lakeside, sawmill at................................... 33 

Land, arable, extent of........................ . . . . . . . . 9 

arid, extent of ...•................ ~................ 35 

classification of, map showing ............... In pocket. 

table showing................................. 34 

Lath, prices of......................................... 18 

Lichen, occurrence of................................. 17 

Little Wenache River, fires in watershed of........... 28 

forests of, character of............. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

spring on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 

Lodgepole pine forest zone, species assigned to ....... 13,14 

Logged area, extent of................................ 34 

Lumber, markets and prices of. ....................... 17-19 

Madison, hot spring at................................ 38 

:Maple, plate showing.................................. 34 

Martin, examination' of a typical acre near ........... 15-16 

Marysville, capacity of sawmill at . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . 27 

Middle Fork, rainfall at............................... 10 

Middle Fork of Snoqualmie River, hemlock forest on. 

plate showing.............................. 32 

Miller River, prospecting and development work on.. 19 

Mineral springs in the region ......................... 37-38 

Mistletoe (Arceu-thobiwn), occurrence of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 

Money Creek, prospecting and development work on. 19 

spring on bank of. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 

Naches Pass trail, reference to . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 25 

Nason Creek, timber conditions in valley of . . . . . . . . . . 29 

North Bend, fires near, destruction by . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 

rainfall at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

sawmill at......................................... 21 

Northern Pacific Railway, protection of roadbed of .. 

North Fork of Skykomish River, prospecting and development work 011. ...................... . 

springs on ........................................ . 

North Yakima, table showing prices of lumber at ... . 

Pastures, use of logged areas for ................... _ ... . 

Peshastin Creek, land and timber in valley of ....... . 

spring near, features of. .......................... . 

Pine, yellow, irrigation pipe manufactured from .... . 

map showing distribution of ..................... . 

market prices of. ................................. . 

use of . . . . . . . . . . . . . ................ __ ... _ .. ___ . ___ . 

Precipitation, character cf ........................... . 

Railroads of the regio:: ......................... , ..... . 

Rainfall, character of ................................. . 

Red cedar. (See Cedar, red.) 

Red fir. (See Fir, red.) 

11 

19 

38 

18 

20 

30 

:~8-39 

19 

12 

19 

18 

10 

11 

10 

Reservoirs, use of lakes for, consideration of.......... 11 

Roslyn, sawmill at . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 

Seattle, electric power and light of. ............. 10-11,21-22 

lumber prices at, table showing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 

water supply of.................................... 23 

Shiplap, prices of................... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 

Shrubs, deeiduous, list of. ................ : ............ 11-12 

Skykomish, sawmills at................................ .19 

Skykomish River, valley of, character of lands in . . . . 19 

watershed of, burns in, suggestion as to origin nf. 20 

lands in, classification of...................... 34 

prospecting and development work in........ 19 

tim her in, proportions and amounts of ........ 20,34 

(See also North Fork of Skykomish Rivl'r.) 

Snoqualmie Falls, height and power of............... 22 

Snoqualmie Falls Power Company, power and light 

supplied by ................................ 21-22 

Snoqualmie Pass, r~ference to .................... . 

Snoqualmie River, hemlock forest on Middle Fork of, 

plate showing.~- .......................... . 

power from, use of ................................ . 

watershed of, drainage of ......................... . 

fires in ........................................ . 

lands in, character of. ........................ . 

lands in, classification of ..................... . 

rainfall in .................................... . 

Page. 

26 

32 

10 

21 

21 

2'2 

_34 

10 

timber in, proportions and amounts of ........ 22,34 

0 

Snow, damage to trees by weight of................... 17 

Soil, growth supported by, acre measured for record 

of.................................................. 15 

Springs of the region, features of.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37-39 

water from, analyses of............................ 38 

Spruce, Engelmann, map showing distribution of..... 18 

Subalpine-fir forest zone, species assigned to .......... 13,14 

Tacoma, electric power and light of. ............... 10,21-22 

lumber prices at, table Rho wing................... 18 

Taneum River, forests in watershed of, character of... 27 

Teanaway, sawmill 11.t ...................... ~.......... 27 

Teanaway River, forests in watershed of, character of. 27 

Temperature, prevalence of extremes of.............. 10 

Teneriffe Peak, fires on southern slope of . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 

Timber, density of, map showing ................ In pocket. 

range of trees in altitude, plate showing . . . . . . . . . . 20 

Rta nd per acre and total stand of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-H! 

stand of, in central Washington, table showing... 34 

Timberless area, extent of. ........... ,................ 9, 34 

Tolt River, watershed of, classification of lands in.... 34 

features of ..................................... 20--21 

timber in, proportions and amounts of ........ 21,34 

Trees., altitude of, plate showing range in ........... :. 20 

defects and diseases of ............................. 16-17 

deciduous, list of ................................. 11-12 

distribution of, by zones ........................... 13-14 

Wainscoting, prices of................................. 18 

Wapatos, Lake, fires in vicinity of..................... 26 

Water,decayoftreesraused by....................... 17 

storage of . ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 

Wenache, wooden irrigation pipe manufactured near. 19 

Wenache, Lake, spring near........................... 39 

Wenache River, irrigation from....................... 36 

watershed of, features of ......... : . ............... 28-31 

lands in, classification of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

timber in, proportions and amounts of ........ 31, 34 

(&e also Little Wenache River.) 

White River, character of valley of.................... 29 

watershed of, features of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 

lands in, character of.......................... 25 

lands in, classification of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

timber in, proportions and amounts of ........ 25,34 

White-bark pine forest zone, species assigned to ...... 13,14 

Yakima, North, table showing prices of lumber at.... 18 

Yakima River, irrigation from ........................ 11,35 

tributaries of ............. '"....................... 26 

watershed of, burns in ............................ 26-27 

features of. .................................... 26-28 

lands m, character of.......................... 27 

lands in, elassification of . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

timber in, proportions and amounts of ........ 28,34 

Yellow pine. (See Pine, yellow.) 

Yellow-pine forest zone, species assigned to ........... 13,14 

Zone1-1, forest, distribution of species by ............... 13--14 
PUBLICATIONS OF UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 

[Professional Paper No.6.] 

The serial publications of the United States Geological Survey consist of (1). Annual Reports, 

(2) Monographs, (3) Professional Papers, (4) Bulletins, (5) Mineral Resources, (6) Water-Supply and 

Irrigation Papers, (7) Topographic Atlas of the United States-folios and separate sheets thereof, (8) 

Geologic Atlas of the United States-folios thereof. The classes numbered 2, 7, and 8 are sold at 

cost of publication; the others are <-listributed free. A eircular giving complete lists may be had on 

application. 

The Bulletins, Professional Papers, and Water-Supply Papers treat of a variety of subjects, and, 

the total number issued is large. They have therefore been classified into the following series: A, ' 

Economic geology; B, Descriptive geology; C, Systematic geology and paleontology; D, Petrography 

and mineralogy; E, Chemistry and physics; F, Geography; G, Miscellaneous; H, Forestry; I, Irrigation; J, Water storage; K, Pumping water; L, Quality of water;.M:, Methods of hydrographic investigation; N, Water power; 0, Underground waters; P, Hydrographic progress reports. This paper is 

the third in series H, the complete list of which follows (all are Professional Papers thus far) : 

SERIES H, FORESTRY. 

4. The forests of Oregon, by Henry Gannett. 1902. 36 pp., 7 pls. 

5. The forests of Washington, a revision of estimates, by Henry Gannett. 1902. 38 pp., 1 pl. 

6. Forest conditions in the Cascade Range, Washington, between the Washington and Mount Rainier forest reserves, 

by Fred G. Plummer. 1902. 42 pp., 11 pls. 

Besides the foregoing, three volumes on forestry have been published, as ·Part V of the Nineteenth, Twentieth, and 

Twenty-first annual reports, each consisting of several papers. 

Correspondence shpuld he addressed toTHE DIRECTOR, 

NovEMBER, 1902~ 

UNI'fED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, 

WASHINGTON, D. C. 

LIBRARY CATALOGUE SLIPS. 

[Take this leaf out and paste the separated titles upon three of your catalogue cards. The 

first and second titles need no addition; over the third write that subject under which you 

would place the book in your library.] 

United States. Department of the interior. ( U. S. geological survey.) 

Professional Paper No. 6 Series H, Forestry, 3 I Department of the interior I United States geological survey I Charles D. Walcott, director I -I 

Forest conditions I in the I Cascade Range, Washington I between the Washington and Mount Rainier I forest reserves I by I Fred G. Plummer I [Vi-· 

gnette] I 

Washington I govemment printing office I 1902 

4°. 42 pp., 11 pis. 

Plummer (Fred G.). 

Professional Paper No. 6 Series H, Forestry, 3 I Department of the interior I United States geological survey I Charles D. Walcott, director I-I 

Forest conditions I in the I Cascade Range, Washington I between the Washington and Mount Rainier I forest reserves I by I Fred G. Plummer I [Vignette] I 

Washington I government printing office 11902 

4°. 42 pp., 11 pis. 

Professional Paper No. 6 Series H, Forestry, 3 I Department of the interior I United States geological survey I Charles D. Walcott, director I - I 

Forest conditions I in the I Cascade Range, Washington I between theW ashington and Mount Rainier I forest reserves I by I Fred G. Plummer I [Vignette] I 

Washington I government printing office I 1902 

4°. 42 pp., 11 pis. 

Ill