Middle Santiam Wilderness
Encyclopedia
The Middle Santiam Wilderness is a wilderness area located near Mount Washington
in the central Cascade Range
of Oregon
, U.S., within the Willamette National Forest
.
.
, western redcedar and western hemlock
grow at lower elevations and true firs
near the ridgelines. Native fish populations, including Chinook salmon
during spawning season, thrive in both the river and the lake.
Mount Washington (Oregon)
Mount Washington is a deeply eroded shield volcano in the Cascade Range of Oregon. The mountain dates to the Late Pleistocene. However, it does have a line of basaltic andesite spatter cones on its northeast flank which are approximately 1,330 years old according to carbon dating...
in the central Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, U.S., within the Willamette National Forest
Willamette National Forest
The Willamette National Forest is a National Forest located in the central portion of the Cascade Range of US state of Oregon.It comprises 1,675,407 acres making it one of the largest national forests. Over 380,000 acres are designated wilderness which include seven major mountain peaks...
.
Topography
The Middle Santiam Wilderness ranges from steep slopes, high peaks, and ridges at the higher elevations to gently sloping and bench-like terrain in the lower elevations. The most prominent features include Donaca Lake, the Middle Santiam River, and the 4,965-foot Chimney Peak, a lava plug in the northwestern portion of the Wilderness. Not far to the south of the Middle Santiam Wilderness lies Menagerie WildernessMenagerie Wilderness
The Menagerie Wilderness is a designated wilderness area located near Mount Washington in the central Cascade Range of Oregon. It is situated near Highway 20 within the Willamette National Forest and is managed by the US Forest Service.- Geography :...
.
Flora and fauna
Much of the Middle Santiam Wilderness is forested with mature stands of old growth estimated to be 450 years old and 200 feet (61 m) tall. Douglas-firDouglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
, western redcedar and western hemlock
Western Hemlock
Tsuga heterophylla. the Western Hemlock, is a species of hemlock native to the west coast of North America, with its northwestern limit on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska, and its southeastern limit in northern Sonoma County, California.-Habitat:...
grow at lower elevations and true firs
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
near the ridgelines. Native fish populations, including Chinook salmon
Chinook salmon
The Chinook salmon, Oncorhynchus tshawytscha, is the largest species in the pacific salmon family. Other commonly used names for the species include King salmon, Quinnat salmon, Spring salmon and Tyee salmon...
during spawning season, thrive in both the river and the lake.
See also
- List of Oregon Wildernesses
- List of U.S. Wilderness Areas
- Wilderness ActWilderness ActThe Wilderness Act of 1964 was written by Howard Zahniser of The Wilderness Society. It created the legal definition of wilderness in the United States, and protected some 9 million acres of federal land. The result of a long effort to protect federal wilderness, the Wilderness Act was signed...
- List of old growth forests