G E O L O G Y F A N O D T N M I E N M E T R R A A L P I E N D D U N S O T G R E I R E S O 1937 Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries Volume 67, Number 1, Fall 2006 3 Recent geologic history of the upper White River valley 7 Response to 1998 debris fl ow in the upper White River valley 11 USGS debris fl ow fl ume at H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest 15 Field trip guide to the geology of the Lower Crooked River Basin 25 MLRR Program 2005 Mined Land Reclamation Awards Also in this issue: Agency News Recent DOGAMI publications Recent dissertations & theses related to Oregon geology Oregon seismicity in 2005 TO OUR READERS — Welcome back! From the State Geologist: In this issue of Oregon Geology, we play catch-up since our last issue of Fall 2004 by publish- ing a set of articles that have been languishing for some time and by summarizing recent agency activities. We want to continue to publish articles on Oregon's unique geology, but we can't do it without your submissions! See page 35 for contributor guidelines. — Vicki S. McConnell Agency News you can view online Oregon stratigraphy, rock type, and Geologic Mapping Section rock property theme maps on topographic and shaded Our first priority remains completion of the statewide digi- relief backdrops. tal compilation map, now in its third year. To this end, we The Oregon Geologic Map Advisory Committee has have completed and released the second version of the advised DOGAMI and its partners to complete mapping of Oregon Geologic Data Compilation. OGDC-2 incorporates the Southern portion of the state, including the Klamath a digital and spatial database for northeast and southeast Falls, Medford, and Cape Blanco 1:250,000 scale quad- Oregon with the central portion of the state being added rangles. This compilation will incorporate new mapping to the compilation in winter 2006. We anticipate this proj- by DOGAMI in the Klamath Basin and Grants Pass areas. ect and the final digital model to be our primary mapping The Southern Willamette Valley was previously defined by product, with completion by 2010. A subset of the Oregon the Committee as a multi-year, multi-quadrangle project Geologic Data Compilation from the first two years is also in 2004 but was only partially funded by USGS. We now now available to view on our website, http://www.oregon- propose to map up to four quads in the area. South coast geology.com (Figure 1, page 13). Using data from OGDC-2, urban areas were identified as high priority for mapping (Continued on page 13) Mineral Land Regulation and Reclamation Program: 229 Broadalbin OREGON GEOLOGY Street SW, Albany 97321-2246, phone (541) 967-2039, FAX (541) 967- (ISSN 0164-3304) 2075. Gary W. Lynch, Assistant Director of Regulation. VOLUME 67, NUMBER 1 FALL 2006 The Nature of the Northwest Information Center: Suite 177, 800 NE Published in Spring and Fall by the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries on its web Oregon St. # 5, Portland, OR 97232-2162, phone (503) 872-2750, FAX site http://www.oregongeology.com. (Volumes 1 through 40 were entitled The Ore Bin.) (971) 673-1562. Internet: http://www.naturenw.org Governing Board Donald J. Haines, Manager. Donald A. Haagensen, Chair . .Lake Oswego Permission is granted to reprint information contained herein. Steve Macnab. Bend Credit given to the Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral In- Barbara P. Seymour . .Oceanside dustries for compiling this information will be appreciated. Vera Simonton . .Pendleton State Geologist . Vicki S. McConnell Cover photo Assistant Director . .Don Lewis The White River Bridge on Oregon Route 35, east of Editor . Deb Schueller Mount Hood, after the debris flow events of early No- Main Office: Suite 965, 800 NE Oregon Street # 28, Portland vember 2006. Note the blue-jacketed person standing 97232, phone (971) 673-1555, FAX (971) 673-1562. in the channel near the center of the bridge span. The Internet: http://www.oregongeology.com debris deposit is roughly 4–6 m high on the upslope Baker City Field Office: 1510 Campbell Street, Baker City 97814, phone side of the bridge. Debris completely filled the chan- (541) 523-3133, FAX (541) 523-5992. nel and overtopped the bridge deck, so total debris Mark L. Ferns, Geologist, Eastern Oregon Section Leader. flow depth reached more than 6 m. [Route 35 was Coastal Field Office: 313 SW Second Street, Suite D, Newport 97365, re-opened December 9, 2006.] phone (541) 574-6642, FAX (541) 265-5241. Jonathan C. Allan, Geologist, Coastal Section Leader. Photo contributed by William J. Burns, DOGAMI. Grants Pass Field Office: 5375 Monument Drive, Grants Pass 97526, phone (541) 476-2496, FAX (541) 474-3158. Thomas J. Wiley, Geologist, Southwest Oregon Section Leader. 2 OREGON GEOLOGY, VOLUME 67, NUMBER 1, FALL 2006 Recent geologic history of the upper White River valley, Oregon by Thomas G. DeRoo, Mount Hood National Forest Headquarters, 16400 Champion Way, Sandy, OR 97055 About 12,000 years ago two major clastic flows from the Old Maid erup- landscape-shaping processes were tive period partially filled the upper waning in the upper White River val- valley with large amounts of loose ley (Figures 1 and 2): a glacier from volcanic material, forming a deposi- the last major ice age had either melt- tional surface that extended roughly Mt. Hood ed entirely or retreated substantially, to the entrance to the narrow White and the Polallie eruptive period had River canyon, about 850 m in eleva- ended. The White River was adjusting tion. At least one lahar reached Tygh to the lahar deposits and pyroclastic- Valley and covered the valley floor upper White flow deposits that partially filled the there (Cameron and Pringle, 1987). River valley valley. For most of the next 12,000 The loose material in the upper years the White River valley was prob- valley eroded rapidly. Runoff from ably free of major geologic changes. intense rainstorms cut large gullies in The river and slope processes devel- the more steeply sloped fill material oped a relatively stable valley that in the upper valley. Most of the sedi- was forested up to at least 1675 m ment was transported by debris flows elevation (Scott, 1995) and probably that deposited coarser-sized particles Figure 1. Study area location. The yellow resembled other major river valleys of above 1030 m elevation. Subsequent polygon outlines the upper White River the region. flood events and debris flows contin- valley. The white line transecting the poly- About 220 years ago a remarkable ued building an alluvial fill or fan that gon is Oregon Route 35. change occurred. Lahars and pyro- (Continued on page 5) Figure 2. Looking down the White River Glacier from 2440 m elevation. Three subparallel drainages that converge at the head of the alluvial fan are visible in the upper half of the photo. (9-10-98 photo) OREGON GEOLOGY, VOLUME 67, NUMBER 1, FALL 2006 3 Released July 14, 2006: RECENT DOGAMI PUBLICATIONS The following individually released publications comprise the USGS STATEMAP 2002 deliverable (originally bundled together as Open-file report Publications are available from: Nature of the Northwest, 800 O-03-11): • Preliminary geologic map of the Eugene East and Eugene West NE Oregon St., #5, Portland, OR 97232, [email protected], (503) quadrangles, Lane county, Oregon, by Ian P. Madin and Robert B. 872-2750; or from the DOGAMI field offices in Baker City, Murray. Open-file report O-06-17. 1 CD, $10. 1510 Campbell Street, (541) 523-3133, and Grants Pass, 5375 • Preliminary geologic map of the Gold Hill and Rogue River 7.5 Monument Drive, (541) 476-2496. For online purchasing, go minute quadrangles, Jackson and Josephine counties, Oregon, by Thomas J. Wiley. Open-file report O-06-18. 1 CD, $10. to http://www.naturenw.org, select “Store” and “Maps and • Geology of the Upper Grande Ronde River Basin, Union county, Reports” and use the short identification of the publication Oregon, by Mark L. Ferns, Vicki S. McConnell, Ian P. Madin, and Jenda (e.g., RMS-1) for a search. A. Johnson. Open-file report O-06-19. 1 CD, $10. • Preliminary geologic map of the Service Buttes, Echo, Nolin, Look online (http://www.oregongeology.com) for: Barnhart, and Pendleton 7.5 minute quadrangles (west to east), Umatilla County, Oregon [map only; no text], by Vicki S. McConnell. • All Ore Bin and Oregon Geology past issues− Open-file report O-06-20. 1 CD, $10. http://www.oregongeology.com/sub/quarpub/OrGeo.htm The following individually released publications comprise the USGS • All Geologic Map Series (GMS) maps− STATEMAP 2003 deliverable: http://www.oregongeology.com/sub/publications/GMS/gms.htm • Oregon statewide geologic map data: A pilot project where digi- • Oregon Geologic Data Compilation (OGDC) interactive map− tal techniques changed the geologic map compilation process http://www.oregongeology.com/sub/ogdc/index.htm and product, by Mark L. Ferns, Ronald P. Geitgey, Margaret D. Jenks, Lina Ma, Ian P. Madin, Vicki S. McConnell, and Paul E. Staub. Open-file report O-06-03. 1 CD, $10. (Complete data set for northeast Oregon Released February 17, 2006: released as OGDC-1, July 12, 2005.) • Geoanalytical information layer for Oregon (GILO) -- Release 1, • Preliminary geologic map of the Wimer and McConville Peaks northeast Oregon, by Mark L. Ferns and Vicki S. McConnell. GILO rel. 7.5 minute quadrangles, Jackson and Josephine counties, Or- 1. 1 CD, $10. egon, by Thomas J. Wiley. Open-file report O-06-05.