Roaring River Wilderness
Encyclopedia
Roaring River Wilderness is a wilderness area in the Mount Hood National Forest
in Clackamas County, Oregon
, United States
. Southwest of Mount Hood
, Oregon's tallest mountain, the 36500 acres (14,771 ha) area was created in 2009. The wilderness area is named after the Roaring River that flows through the area and is a tributary of the Clackamas River
.
of Oregon introduced legislation to add the area around the Roaring River to the Salmon–Huckleberry Wilderness. That bill did not pass and the next year several members of Oregon’s delegation to the U.S. House
proposed protecting the area as well. Sponsored by Earl Blumenauer
and Greg Walden
, this bill would have created a new wilderness area for the river’s valley and received unanimous support in committee. The Bush administration supported some expansion of the wilderness areas around Mount Hood, but not as much as proposed by the bill. This bill also failed to become law, and in February 2007, Wyden and fellow Senator Gordon Smith introduced another bill to create the Roaring River Wilderness. The area officially became a protected wilderness area in March 2009 when the Omnibus Public Land Management Act
of 2009 was signed into law by President
Barack Obama
.
, the area includes 1,000 year-old trees in its old growth forest. Prior to designation as a wilderness area the Dry Ridge, Grouse Point, Serene Lake, Shellrock Lake, and Shining Lake trails were open to use by mountain bike
s. Lakes in the area include the Rock Lakes and Serene Lake, while Cache Meadow is one of the many alpine meadows. The river itself is a spawn
ing habitat for several salmon
species and is a tributary to the Clackamas River
. Flora and fauna include spotted owl
s, pileated woodpecker
s, bear
s, cougars, elk
, mule deer
, salamander
s, huckleberry
, salal
, and sword ferns among others.
Mount Hood National Forest
The Mount Hood National Forest is located east of the city of Portland, Oregon, and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than of forested mountains, lakes and streams to the Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes...
in Clackamas County, Oregon
Clackamas County, Oregon
Clackamas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county was named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. As of 2010, the population was 375,992...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Southwest of Mount Hood
Mount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
, Oregon's tallest mountain, the 36500 acres (14,771 ha) area was created in 2009. The wilderness area is named after the Roaring River that flows through the area and is a tributary of the Clackamas River
Clackamas River
The Clackamas River is an approximately tributary of the Willamette River in northwestern Oregon, in the United States. As it drains an area of about , the Clackamas passes through mostly forested and rugged mountainous terrain in its upper reaches, and passes through agricultural and urban areas...
.
History
In 2004, Senator Ron WydenRon Wyden
Ronald Lee "Ron" Wyden is the senior U.S. Senator for Oregon, serving since 1996, and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives from 1981 to 1996....
of Oregon introduced legislation to add the area around the Roaring River to the Salmon–Huckleberry Wilderness. That bill did not pass and the next year several members of Oregon’s delegation to the U.S. House
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
proposed protecting the area as well. Sponsored by Earl Blumenauer
Earl Blumenauer
Earl Blumenauer is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1996. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes most of Portland east of the Willamette River. A native of Portland, he previously spent over 20 years as a public official representing the city.-Early...
and Greg Walden
Greg Walden
Gregory Paul Walden is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1999. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district covers more than two-thirds of the state . He is the son of Paul E...
, this bill would have created a new wilderness area for the river’s valley and received unanimous support in committee. The Bush administration supported some expansion of the wilderness areas around Mount Hood, but not as much as proposed by the bill. This bill also failed to become law, and in February 2007, Wyden and fellow Senator Gordon Smith introduced another bill to create the Roaring River Wilderness. The area officially became a protected wilderness area in March 2009 when the Omnibus Public Land Management Act
Omnibus Public Land Management Act
The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 is a law passed in the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 30, 2009.-110th Congress:...
of 2009 was signed into law by President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
.
Details
Located southwest of Mount HoodMount Hood
Mount Hood, called Wy'east by the Multnomah tribe, is a stratovolcano in the Cascade Volcanic Arc of northern Oregon. It was formed by a subduction zone and rests in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States...
, the area includes 1,000 year-old trees in its old growth forest. Prior to designation as a wilderness area the Dry Ridge, Grouse Point, Serene Lake, Shellrock Lake, and Shining Lake trails were open to use by mountain bike
Mountain bike
A mountain bike or mountain bicycle is a bicycle created for off-road cycling. This activity includes traversing of rocks and washouts, and steep declines,...
s. Lakes in the area include the Rock Lakes and Serene Lake, while Cache Meadow is one of the many alpine meadows. The river itself is a spawn
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
ing habitat for several salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
species and is a tributary to the Clackamas River
Clackamas River
The Clackamas River is an approximately tributary of the Willamette River in northwestern Oregon, in the United States. As it drains an area of about , the Clackamas passes through mostly forested and rugged mountainous terrain in its upper reaches, and passes through agricultural and urban areas...
. Flora and fauna include spotted owl
Spotted Owl
The Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis, is a species of true owl. It is a resident species of forests in western North America, where it nests in tree holes, old bird of prey nests, or rock crevices. Nests can be between 13 and 66 yards high and usually contain two eggs...
s, pileated woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
The Pileated Woodpecker is a very large North American woodpecker, almost crow-sized, inhabiting deciduous forests in eastern North America, the Great Lakes, the boreal forests of Canada, and parts of the Pacific coast. It is also the largest woodpecker in America.Adults are long, and weigh...
s, bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
s, cougars, elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
, mule deer
Mule Deer
The mule deer is a deer indigenous to western North America. The Mule Deer gets its name from its large mule-like ears. There are believed to be several subspecies, including the black-tailed deer...
, salamander
Salamander
Salamander is a common name of approximately 500 species of amphibians. They are typically characterized by a superficially lizard-like appearance, with their slender bodies, short noses, and long tails. All known fossils and extinct species fall under the order Caudata, while sometimes the extant...
s, huckleberry
Huckleberry
Huckleberry is a common name used in North America for several species of plants in two closely related genera in the family Ericaceae:* Vaccinium* GaylussaciaHuckleberry may also refer to:-Plants:...
, salal
Salal
Gaultheria shallon is a leathery-leaved shrub in the heather family , native to western North America. In English it is known as salal, shallon, or in Britain simply Gaultheria.-Ecology:...
, and sword ferns among others.
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...