![]() ![]() It contains large alkali lakes and tall cliffs, some with a prominence of more than 2,000 feet (610 m). The southern high desert is part of North America's Basin and Range Province, which extends south through Nevada and Arizona and into Mexico. The Blue Mountains are the geographical boundary to the north, marking the northern end of the high desert's semi-arid plateau. It is bordered by the eastern foothills of the Cascade Range to the west. The high desert is named as such for its generally high elevation, averaging about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) across the region. Most of the region is located in Crook, Deschutes, Harney, Lake, and Malheur counties. It covers approximately 24,000 square miles (62,000 km 2), extending approximately 200 miles (320 km) from central Oregon east to the Idaho border and 130 miles (210 km) from central Oregon south to the Nevada border. The high desert of Oregon is located in the central and southeastern part of the state. The western juniper is the most common tree in the region, and big sagebrush and common woolly sunflower are the region's most widespread plants. Birds common in the region include sage-grouse, California quail, and prairie falcon. The climate of the high desert provides habitat for mammals such as pronghorn, coyote, mule deer, black-tailed jackrabbit, and cougar. Several ice ages over this time formed the large lakes in the high desert. The Earth's crust then began stretching, giving way to further volcanic activity from 15 million to 2 million years ago. About 16 million years ago, during the early Miocene epoch, lava flows from volcanic eruptions covered about half the surface area of Oregon. The broad fault-block mountain is characteristic of the basin and range plate tectonics of the high desert. Contrary to its name, most of the high desert is not dry enough to truly qualify as desert, and biologically, most of the region is classified as scrubland or steppe.Īt 9,733 feet (2,967 m) above sea level, the summit of Steens Mountain is the highest point in the high desert. The region averages 15 inches (380 mm) of annual rainfall the Alvord Desert, however, receives only 7 inches (180 mm) of rain each year. While the high desert is somewhat dry, it is only arid relative to Western Oregon. Public land within the region is owned primarily by the Bureau of Land Management, which manages more than 30,000 square miles (78,000 km 2) including five rivers designated as Wild and Scenic. The northern region is part of the Columbia Plateau, where higher levels of rainfall allow the largest industry on private land to be the cultivation of alfalfa and hay. The southwest region is part of the Great Basin and the southeast is the lower Owyhee River watershed. Divided into a southern region and a northern region, the desert covers most of five Oregon counties and averages 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above sea level. ![]() state of Oregon located east of the Cascade Range and south of the Blue Mountains, in the central and eastern parts of the state. The Oregon high desert is a region of the U.S. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |