U.S. Department of the Interior a U.S. Geological Survey

U.S. Geological Survey

Programs in Oregon

OREG

WASH

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2

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EXPLANATION

1 Lower Columbia River study area

2 Tualatin River study area

3 Willamette River study area

4 North Umpqua River study area

5 Upper Klamath Lake study area

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

has served as the Nation’s principal collector, repository, and interpreter of Earth-science data for more than a century. In this 

capacity, the USGS in Oregon works in 

partnership with State, county, and local 

agencies; and with other Federal agencies. 

Where State, county and local agencies are 

involved, activities typically are funded on 

a matching cooperative basis. This Fact 

Sheet describes some of the current activities in Oregon. 

Earthquake and Giant 

Seawave Potential

USGS scientists and colleagues from 

the Oregon Department of Geology and 

Mineral Industries (DOGAMI), the academic community, and the private sector 

have recently changed the field of earthquake hazards assessments in Oregon. 

Geologists who were studying mud and 

sand deposits in coastal marshes from 

Coos Bay to Astoria found evidence that 

great earthquakes of magnitude 8 to perhaps 9 have occurred along the outer coast. 

The geologic record shows that the last 

event was about 300 years ago and that 

these great earthquakes occur about every 

400 to 600 years. 

Unusually large seawaves called tsunamis sweep along the coast as well, adding 

to the ground shaking and ground failure 

hazards associated with great earthquakes. 

These events in the recent geologic record 

contrast sharply with the relatively short, 

seismically quiet history of the past 150 

years in western Oregon. The potential for 

future subduction earthquakes helped convince Oregon building code officials in 

1994 to strengthen the seismic provisions 

that guide building design. 

The search for earthquake sources in the 

Pacific Northwest has moved into the 

heavily populated urban corridor from 

Eugene, Oregon, to Vancouver, British 

Columbia. Scientists are concentrating on 

determining earthquake hazards from shallow faults by focusing in the urban areas 

where they could potentially cause much 

damage and loss of life. In the Portland 

area, geophysical studies indicate that the 

Portland Hills Fault, which crosses the 

city’s core, is about 31 miles long. Geophysicists suspect that the Fault could produce an earthquake as large as magnitude 

7; evidence of recent movement on this 

Fault, however, has not been found. Further 

studies will analyze the Fault’s importance 

to earthquake hazards of the Portland area. 

Trace Elements and Organic 

Compounds in Streams 

Trace elements and synthetic organic 

compounds were detected at elevated concentrations in water, fish, and sediment in 

major Oregon rivers. In the lower Columbia River, dioxins and furans, pesticides, 

and PCB’s have been detected at high concentrations in tissues of fish, otters, mink, 

and other wildlife. In the lower Willamette 

River, fish with skeletal deformities have 

raised concerns about contaminants, which 

can originate from nonpoint sources, such 

as runoff from agricultural and urban areas, 

and point sources, such as pulp and paper 

mills, metal-refining mills, and sewagetreatment plants. 

In 1990, studies of the lower Columbia 

River (fig. 1) were initiated to measure 

trace elements and pesticides at extremely 

low concentrations—an important benefit 

to State agencies. Arsenic, which is a 

human carcinogen, was detected in most 

samples from the lower Columbia River at 

concentrations that exceed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) ambient water-quality criteria for the protection 

of human health and advisories for drinking water. Twenty organic pesticides also 

were detected, although none exceeded 

water-quality criteria or drinking-water 

guidelines. 

The Willamette Basin studies (fig. 1), 

which include the USGS National WaterQuality Assessment Program and a cooperative project with the Oregon Department 

of Environmental Quality (ODEQ), are 

designed to define the relation of trace elements and synthetic organic compounds in 

water, streambed sediment, and aquatic tisIndex of Subjects

Earthquake and Giant Seawave Potential

Trace Elements and Organic Compounds 

in Streams

Nonpoint Sources of Nutrients in Streams 

and Lakes

Geologic Mapping

Stream-Temperature and Dissolved-Oxygen 

Concerns

Ground Water in the Middle Deschutes 

River Basin

Ground Water in the Willamette Valley

Geothermal Development and Hydrologic 

Monitoring

Collection of Water-Resources Data

Mineral and Environmental Evaluation of 

 Public Lands in Southeastern Oregon

Topographic Mapping

Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem 

Management

Cascade Volcanoes 

Energy Resources of the Tyee Basin

Forest and Rangeland Research

Figure 1. Locations of recent and 

ongoing water-quality studies.

Earth Science in the Public Service
sue to land use activities. Atrazine was the 

most commonly detected pesticide in 

water, with concentrations that sometimes 

exceeded the USEPA drinking-water standard in streams that drain small, intensively farmed watersheds. In contrast, 

atrazine concentrations at the mouth of the 

Willamette River were typically from 100 

to 1,000 times lower than samples from 

agricultural basins. Dioxins and furans 

were detected in streambed sediments and 

aquatic-tissue samples throughout the 

Basin, but the highest concentrations were 

downstream from point sources.

Nonpoint Sources of Nutrients 

in Streams and Lakes

Phosphorous and nitrogen are nutrients 

that can cause excessive algal growth and 

ammonia toxicity in streams and lakes. In 

south-central Oregon (fig. 1), the USGS 

and the Bureau of Reclamation studies of 

nutrient sources to Upper Klamath Lake 

have indicated that overly abundant algal 

growth, which occurred from mid-May to 

late October, has likely contributed to the 

decline and endangerment of fish like the 

Lost River sucker and the shortnose sucker.

Regulations and improved methods to 

treat point-source sewage effluent have 

reduced nutrient loads to Oregon's streams 

and lakes, but such improvements in water 

quality are not always adequate. Some nonpoint sources recognized as substantial 

contributors of nutrients include agricultural area runoff, animal feed operations, 

urban runoff, and timber harvest areas. 

Ground water is a source of large nutrient 

concentrations in some areas of Oregon. 

Large inputs of phosphorous to the 

Tualatin River (fig. 1) have created waterquality problems, such as excessive algal 

growth, which contributes to fluctuations in 

dissolved-oxygen concentrations and 

excessively high pH. Although remediation 

by controlling point sources of phosphorous has been very successful, nonpoint 

sources are now the major contributor in 

the Tualatin River Basin and apparently 

supply sufficient phosphorous to support 

algal blooms in the River.

The USGS and the Unified Sewerage 

Agency of Washington County determined 

that most nonpoint-source phosphorus that 

enters the Tualatin River during critical 

summer months is derived from ground 

water that is naturally enriched in phosphorous. Planners for this and other rivers now 

may evaluate the ground-water contribution 

to ensure that appropriate procedures can 

be recommended for farmers, foresters, and 

so forth in the Basin. 

Geologic Mapping 

The STATEMAP Component of the 

National Cooperative Geologic Mapping 

Program funds important geologic mapping in Oregon. Significant societal problems addressed by geologic mapping in 

several parts of the State include delineation of natural gas resources, endangered 

salmon ecosystem management, groundwater and landslide problems, and engineering problems related to surface faulting.

Stream-Temperature and 

Dissolved-Oxygen Concerns 

Elevated stream temperatures caused by 

human activities and related low concentrations of dissolved oxygen in water can 

adversely affect the health of fish and 

aquatic ecosystems. The ODEQ administers the dissolved-oxygen standards for 

lakes and rivers. Development and implementation of new standards require understanding cause-and-effect relations to 

employ proper remediation strategies, 

knowledge of the frequency and timing of 

violations for compliance monitoring, and 

calibration of stream water-temperature 

models for testing management alternatives. 

The USGS provides information to 

resource managers that is useful for establishing standards, remediation strategies, 

and management alternatives. For example, 

violations of State standards for dissolved 

oxygen and pH were observed for the 

Coast Fork of the Willamette River. Elsewhere on the River, the location and timing 

of changes in the concentrations of dissolved-oxygen caused by algal growth have 

been studied; on the lower reaches, rates of 

sediment oxygen demand from decayed 

organic matter have been determined. The 

information can be used in water-quality 

modeling required to manage the Willamette River. 

 Ongoing studies of the Tualatin River 

(fig. 1) help evaluate new, more-stringent 

water-temperature standards and provide 

data to determine relations between elevated river water temperatures and humancaused factors, such as removal of riparian 

vegetation, urban runoff, and discharge of 

warm effluent from wastewater-treatment 

plants. A simulation model of the River 

will help resource managers predict water 

temperatures when implementing management alternatives that reduce phosphorus 

concentrations and decrease the time-oftravel of water in affected reaches.

Ground Water in the Middle 

Deschutes River Basin

 Streams provide for municipal, industrial, and agricultural water needs, but 

many streams in the State are fully or 

overly allocated. Communities, therefore, 

increasingly use ground water for their 

needs. Ground water, however, sustains the 

flow of most streams during the dry season, 

and development of ground water can 

adversely affect the flow and quality of 

streams under stress. Assessment of the 

availability of ground water and the effects 

of resource development under such conditions is vital in parts of Oregon, such as the 

middle Deschutes River Basin, where 

streams, closed by law to new pumping 

often fall below minimum levels set by the 

State. The Oregon Water Resources 

Department (OWRD) indicated that until 

better information is available on the 

basin’s ground-water resources, denial of 

requests for new ground-water rights may 

become common. The USGS and the 

OWRD, in cooperation with the DOGAMI 

and local governments, are conducting a 4-

year study of the middle Deschutes Basin 

to help State and local officials effectively 

manage ground water. This information is 

useful to private land owners and others 

who need and use the resource. 

Ground Water in the Willamette 

Valley

The rapidly growing population of the 

Willamette River Basin places unprecedented demands on the region’s water supplies because ground water is increasingly 

used to meet growing needs. The USGS 

completed a comprehensive hydrogeologic study of the Willamette Valley (fig. 2) 

as part of the national Regional Aquifer 

Systems Analysis Program (RASA), and 

the resulting maps and reports are useful to 

homeowners, consultants, and planners. 
2

1 Willamette Valley RASA study area

2 Upper Deschutes Basin study area

EXPLANATION

1

WASH

OREG

In 1995 the USGS began a cooperative 

study with the OWRD to develop a quantitative understanding of the ground-water 

hydrology in the Valley. Management 

issues identified by OWRD include managing ground and surface waters conjunctively, controlling long-term ground-water 

level declines, managing development of 

low-yield aquifers, and identifying areas 

prone to natural ground-water quality 

problems.

The Willamette Basin Study will evaluate the ground-water flow system to determine the timing, location, and magnitude 

of streamflow depletion caused by groundwater pumping; the hydrologic effects of 

land- and water-use policies and climate 

changes; the unique hydrology of basalt 

aquifers and their relation to water availability and management of multiple waterbearing zones; the distribution and waterbearing characteristics of low-permeability aquifers; and the origin, distribution, 

and chemical characteristics of naturally 

occurring or human-caused poor-quality 

ground water. 

Geothermal Development and 

Hydrologic Monitoring 

Newberry Volcano near Bend has 

remarkable scenic, cultural, and geologic 

features. To protect the area, the U.S. Congress created the Newberry National 

Volcanic Monument in 1990. The volcano 

is, however, the location of the largest 

potential geothermal energy resource in 

Oregon. 

To establish baseline hydrologic and 

water-quality conditions before development of a proposed geothermal powerplant 

on the west flank of the volcano, the USGS 

collected data for East and Paulina Lakes, 

Paulina Creek, shallow ground water, and 

hot springs that feed each lake to evaluate 

possible environmental changes caused by 

tapping the geothermal resource. Data 

were collected for lake and ground-water 

levels, stream discharge, hot spring temperatures, and water chemistry. The cooperators included the Bonneville Power 

Administration, the U.S. Forest Service 

(USFS), and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

In 1994, the Oregon State Health Division found elevated concentrations of mercury in tissues of fish taken from East 

Lake. In 1995, the USGS mercury research 

laboratory in Madison, Wisconsin, which 

has analytical equipment needed to evaluate mercury contamination, showed that 

East Lake and the adjacent hot springs 

have dissolved-mercury concentrations 

that range from 25 to 50 percent of the 

USEPA criterion, which is above human 

health protective levels.

Collection of Water-Resources 

Data 

The USGS collects and distributes basic 

hydrologic data that are published annually 

in a series entitled Water Resources Data 

in Oregon. The 1994 report contains discharge records for 201 streamflow-gaging 

and 45 streamflow partial-record stations, 

stage and content records for 32 lakes and 

reservoirs, and water-quality records for 47 

streamflow-gaging stations and 8 ungaged 

stream sites. The USGS has collected 

water-quality data at more than 12,000 

sites in Oregon.

Mineral and Environmental 

Evaluation of Public Lands in 

Southeastern Oregon 

A potential of gold ores in southeastern 

Oregon heightened concern about the environmental impacts of mineral extractions. 

To help the BLM develop management 

plans for Federal lands in southeastern 

Oregon, the USGS conducted mineralresource assessments of about 10 million 

acres in the Malheur, the Jordan, and the 

Andrews Resource Areas. In the Malheur 

and the Jordan areas, the project team identified significant potential for gold deposits 

and provided data to assess environmental 

hazards related to mineral development. 

Data can be used to assess the availability 

of ground water; to identify seismic, landslide, and volcanic hazards; and to prepare 

soils maps. The USGS cooperates with the 

DOGAMI, the Idaho Geological Survey, 

the BLM, the USFS, and the Bureau of 

Mines in these studies. 

Topographic Mapping 

Popular and versatile USGS products 

are 1:24,000-scale topographic maps (1 

inch on the map represents 2,000 feet on 

the ground). Oregon is covered by 1,925 

maps, which depict natural and cultural 

features of the landscape. The maps are 

longtime favorites with the general public 

for outdoor recreational uses and with scientists and engineers for technical applications.

Scientists and engineers need digital 

(computerized) base maps for research. 

These maps provide the geographic context 

for understanding the distributions and 

changes in spatial patterns of natural and 

manmade features. The USGS provides the 

digital cartographic data for the Nation’s 

studies of ground water, hazards, and land 

and resource management. 

Decisions on natural-resource issues 

related to forestry and fisheries in Oregon 

require digital data coverage of transportation networks, hydrography, boundaries, 

Public Land Surveys, and elevations. State 

and Federal agencies and local and Tribal 

governments provide these data for the 

Oregon Digital Map Library, which is operated by the State Service Center for Geographic Information Systems. The 

partnership helps eliminate duplication of 

effort and funds the completion of new data 

sets. Some data are free to the public, and 

local governments in rural areas are provided information otherwise unaffordable. 

Interior Columbia Basin 

Ecosystem Management 

The USGS provides earth science information to the Interior Columbia Basin Ecosystem Management Project (ICBEMP). 

The USFS and the BLM project assesses 

lands in the seven-State region of the eastFigure 2. Locations of recent and ongoing 

ground-water studies. [RASA, Regional Aquifer 

Systems Analysis Program]
For More

Information

ern Columbia River Basin. The ICBEMP is 

developing regional management strategies 

for Federal lands in the Basin to understand the development and current state of 

land and water use, plants and animals, and 

human society within the Basin and to 

model future conditions for management 

of altered ecosystems. Strategies developed 

will help maintain and improve ecological 

health, promote processes and patterns that 

operate in healthy aquatic and terrestrial 

ecosystems, and help provide sustainable 

flows of resources from Federal lands. 

USGS data are used by biologists, forest ecologists, sociologists, and economists; digital geologic, hydrologic, 

mineral-resource, and geologic process 

data information were contributed to the 

process of modeling systems and developing management alternatives. The studies 

help scientists understand processes that 

affect natural phenomena, such as erosion 

potential and the distributions of aquatic 

and terrestrial plants and animals. 

Evaluating the mineral-resource potential of the Basin helps predict trends in economic development, land use, and 

environmental hazards. The USGS contributions help meet ICBEMP goals of restoring and sustaining ecosystem integrity and 

sustaining ecological and economic productivity. 

Cascade Volcanoes

The USGS is responsible for identifying 

and monitoring volcanoes, developing 

new tools to assess and monitor volcano 

hazards, and providing information to concerned officials, agencies, and citizens. 

Earthquake activity beneath the Cascade 

volcanoes is monitored by a regional network of seismometers operated jointly by 

the USGS and the University of Washington. 

In Oregon, a detailed geologic map of 

Newberry Volcano was released by the 

USGS in 1995, and similar studies are 

underway at Mount Hood and Crater Lake. 

Volcano-hazards assessments for each 

major Cascade volcano in Oregon is being 

updated during 1996–97. A geologic map 

of the entire Oregon Cascades is nearly 

complete. Experience at Mount St. Helens 

during its eruptions in the 1980’s provided 

the basis for USGS input to land-use and 

emergency-response plans by Federal, 

State, and county agencies in Oregon and 

elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest.

Energy Resources of the Tyee 

Basin

Sedimentary rocks of the Paleogene 

Tyee Basin in southwestern Oregon have 

historically been explored for hydrocarbon 

energy resources, but although oil and gas 

seeps occur at the surface, exploratory 

drilling has not yet been successful. The 

USGS is supporting the DOGAMI by providing geologic maps of 1,500 square miles 

of the basin and by evaluating the region’s 

hydrocarbon potential. The mapping has 

revealed the distribution of potential reservoir sandstones and new structural traps for 

petroleum. The studies also show that earlier explorations took place in deep-water 

stratigraphic sequences beyond the likely 

extent of potential reservoir sands at depth.

Forest and Rangeland 

Research

The USGS Biological Resources Division (BRD, formerly the National Biological Service) has several units in Oregon 

that address research issues on forests, 

rangelands, and contaminants in the environment.

 Ongoing research at the Forest and 

Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center 

(FRESC) in Corvallis provides important 

information for such major initiatives as the 

Northwest Forest Plan, which is designed 

to sustain northwestern forests for economic and biological interests, and the 

Vegetation Diversity Project Studies, 

whose goals are to restore and maintain 

native plant diversity on rangelands in the 

Great Basin and the Columbia Plateau. In 

other studies, FRESC scientists conduct 

long-term limnological monitoring in Crater Lake and study the effect of environmental contaminants on wildlife 

populations such as osprey, river otter, 

mink, and colonial water birds. BRD scientists also are located at the Oregon Cooperative Fisheries Research Unit and the 

Oregon Cooperative Wildlife Unit, at Oregon State University in Corvallis. Fisheries 

Unit scientists study Oregon fish species of 

recreational and commercial importance. 

Wildlife Unit scientists study effects of 

contaminants, habitat alteration, and landuse conflicts on bird communities.

USGS State representative

10615 S.E. Cherry Blossom Drive

 Portland, OR 97216

(503) 251-3265

Fax: (503) 251-3470

Email: dc_or@usgs.gov

Additional earth science

information can be found by

accessing the USGS Home Page

on the World Wide Web at

http://www.usgs.gov/

For more information on

all USGS reports and products

(including maps, images,

and computerized data), call

1-800-USA-MAPS

The USGS provides maps,

reports, and information to help

others meet their needs to manage,

 develop, and protect America’s water,

energy, mineral, biological, and land

resources. We help find the natural

resources needed to build tomorrow

and supply the scientific understanding needed to help minimize or mitigate the effects of natural hazards

and environmental damage caused

by natural and human activities. The

results of our efforts touch the daily

life of almost every American.

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet FS-037-96