East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-03-08

Made of This Country.
The following bulletin has been is
sued by the geological survey on the
geology and resources of Central Or
egon:
A region that is new to both geol-
ogists and topographers is described
by Prof. Israel c. Russell in pre-
iiminary report on the geology and
water resources of Central Oregon,
recently published by the United
States geological survey. No descrip-
tions of the physical features, water
resources, or geology of this region is
in print and the only map that Prof.
Russell found available for use dur
ing his reconnaissance, which took
place in the summer of 1908, was a
map of the state of Oregon, drawn to |
scale of IL miles to the inch, pub
lished by the general land office.
The route followed by Prof Russell |
and his assistants led from Burns, Or, |
westward through the western part of |
Harvey county, by way of Prineville |
and Sisters, thence southward through |
the northwest portion of klamath |
county to Fort klamath, and thence |
westward across the Cascade noun |
tains to Medford, in Jackson county
The region examined includes the
extreme northern part of the Great
Basin Can area of about 10000
square miles, situated principally i'm
| Oregon, Nevada, Utah and South
! eastern California. from which no
/ streams flow to the ocean, and part
/ of the drainage area of Des Chutes
river and its principal tributary,
Crooked river, which joins it from the
east.
The relief of the surface in Cen
tral Oregon presents we'll marked
contrasts, ranging from; nearly level,
featureless desert valleys, where the
general elevation is about 1000 feet,
ITO, the rugged, snow clad submits of
lahe Cascade mountains the loftiest of
/ which, Mount Jefferson, reaches
height Of about 10, $50 feet.
The most extensive tract of nearly
level land is situated in the geograph-
ic center of the state and is in part
named on the maps of the Great
Sandy desert. This region, termed
SANDY" on account of the thick sheet
of pumiceous sand and dust that
covers large portions of it, extends
from the south central part of Crook
county southeastward across the
northeastern portion of Lake county
and far into Harvey county. Its
length is about $50 miles and its width
from 80 to 80 miles. So nearly uni
form is the surface that one might
drive throughout its length without
meeting any greater obstruction than
the rigid sage brush and-so arid is
the region-without finding a single
, watering place for men or animals.
r The valleys between the mountains
buttes, and hills are i'm general level
floored, owing in part to the deposit
of alluvium brought from the uplands
by streams, but mainly to the extern
r sive lava flows and the wide distri-
= button of fragmental material blown
2 out of volcanoes in the condition OF
5 gravel and dust. Sheets of basalt
2 which have invaded the valleys and
given them level floors occur widely
throughout the central part of the
state, and in many localities form the
present surface. These lava sheets
! range in thickness from so or 100 feet
S up to probably several hundred feet
Few localities in the continental
, portion of the United States present
to view d greater extent of mountains
or offer for study more interesting
, assemblage of topographic forms thar
: may be beheld from the summit o.
any one of the many isolated volcanic
cones and craters that rise from the
e sage brush valleys and broad deser
n plains of Central oregon. From thes'
e elevations the distribution of thu
trees of the region may also be wei
: observed.
T The dark forest mantle whicl
e clothes the entire Cascade rang
/. with the exception of its higher spire
s and more lofty craters may be seei
, descending their eastern slopes ant
q extending far out on the lower an'
= less rugged country adjacent to thei
well defined base, ending in an irreg
ular line in the shadeless valleys.
- Prof Russell describes the mail
features of the region in detail, b
counties His report, which is liste
as bulletin No. 252, is illustrated wit
"a plates. 1t is among the survey
a free publications and may be obtain
2" ed on application to the director
e the United States geological survey
i Washington, d. C.