Southern Oregon Coast Range
Encyclopedia
The Southern Oregon Coast Range is the southernmost section of the Oregon Coast Range
, in the Pacific Coast Ranges
, located in the southwest portion of the state of Oregon
, United States
roughly between the Umpqua River
and the middle fork of the Coquille River
, beyond which are the Klamath Mountains
. To the east is the Willamette Valley
and to the west the Pacific Ocean
. This approximately 55 mile long mountain range contains mountains as high as 3,547 feet for Bone Mountain.
The Southern Oregon Coast Range is the southernmost section of the Oregon Coast Range
, in the Pacific Coast Ranges
, located in the southwest portion of the state of Oregon
, United States
roughly between the Umpqua River
and the middle fork of the Coquille River
, beyond which are the Klamath Mountains
. To the east is the Willamette Valley
and to the west the Pacific Ocean
. This approximately 55 mile long mountain range contains mountains as high as 3,547 feet for Bone Mountain.
The Southern Oregon Coast Range is the southernmost section of the Oregon Coast Range
, in the Pacific Coast Ranges
, located in the southwest portion of the state of Oregon
, United States
roughly between the Umpqua River
and the middle fork of the Coquille River
, beyond which are the Klamath Mountains
. To the east is the Willamette Valley
and to the west the Pacific Ocean
. This approximately 55 mile long mountain range contains mountains as high as 3,547 feet for Bone Mountain.
more than 60 million years ago.Orr, Elizabeth and William Orr, and Ewart Baldwin. Geology of Oregon. Kendall/Hunt Publishing, 1992, 4th edition. In the Southern Range the 64 million year old Roseburg volcanics that formed this section are the oldest portions of the entire range. The range is part of a forearc basin that has slowly rotated about 51 degrees since the Eocene period. Much of the mountain structures are pillow basalt formations created during the volcanic period and then uplifted with the collision into the continental plate. Other geologic features are mainly the result of erosion
and weather forces carving steam beds and valleys out of the rock formations.
These include northern goshawks, peregrine falcon
s, pileated woodpecker
s, olive-sided flycatcher, and western bluebirds.Notice of intent, to conduct scoping meetings. Federal Register: May 9, 2005, pages 24450-24452. (Volume 70, Number 88). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved on June 26, 2007. The Northern Spotted Owl
, listed as a threatened species
by the United States also inhabit the mountain forests.Carey, Andrew B., Janice A. Reid, and Scott P. Horton. Spotted Owl Home Range and Habitat use in Southern Oregon Coast Range. Journal of Wildlife Management. 54(1):11-17. U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved on June 26, 2007. Aquatic life includes river lamprey
, Pacific lamprey, coastal cutthroat trout
, Millicoma longnose dace, Umpqua chub, red-legged frogs, southern seep salamander, western pond turtles, coho salmon
, Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and others. Other wildlife includes fringed myotis bats, long-legged myotis bats, Townsend’s big-eared bat, fishers
, and sharptail snakes, northern flying squirrels, red tree voles, Roosevelt Elk, among others. Other small animals include shrews, moles, deer mice, and ermine.Aubry, Keith B., Mark J. Crites, and Stephen D. West. Regional Patterns of Small Mammal Abundance and Community Composition in Oregon and Washington. U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved on June 26, 2007.
Plants include large stands of Douglas-fir trees, western hemlock forests, cedar
trees, with portions of these forests including old-growth stands. Other flora include Sitka spruce
, salmonberry
, salal
, tanoak, and western azalea. Portions of the range are in the Elliott State Forest
.
to the north. Oregon Route 38 is the general divide between the two sections. On the southern end the Coquille River
’s middle fork provides the general dividing line between the Central Range and the Klamath Mountains
to the south and east.
The climate of the mountains is of the mild maritime variety. It is characterized by cool dry summers followed by mild and wet winters. Most precipitation falls in the form of rain, with snow during the winter months at the higher elevations. Annual precipitation varies from 60 to 120 inches (150-300 cm), with more in the higher elevations. The average high temperature in January is 36.3°F (2.4°C), and the average high in July is 61.9°F (16.6°C) with temperature also varying by elevation.
The following rivers have portions of their headwaters in the Southern Oregon Coast Range:
Oregon Coast Range
The Oregon Coast Range, often called simply the Coast Range and sometimes the Pacific Coast Range, is a mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, in the U.S. state of Oregon along the Pacific Ocean...
, in the Pacific Coast Ranges
Pacific Coast Ranges
The Pacific Coast Ranges and the Pacific Mountain System are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico...
, located in the southwest portion of the state 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
roughly between the Umpqua River
Umpqua River
The Umpqua River on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west of the Cascade Range and south of the Willamette Valley,...
and the middle fork of the Coquille River
Coquille River
The Coquille River is a stream long, in southwestern Oregon in the United States. It drains a mountainous area of of the Southern Oregon Coast Range into the Pacific Ocean. Its watershed is located between that of the Coos River to the north and the Rogue River to the south.-Geography:The river,...
, beyond which are the Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
. To the east is the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
and to the west the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. This approximately 55 mile long mountain range contains mountains as high as 3,547 feet for Bone Mountain.
The Southern Oregon Coast Range is the southernmost section of the Oregon Coast Range
Oregon Coast Range
The Oregon Coast Range, often called simply the Coast Range and sometimes the Pacific Coast Range, is a mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, in the U.S. state of Oregon along the Pacific Ocean...
, in the Pacific Coast Ranges
Pacific Coast Ranges
The Pacific Coast Ranges and the Pacific Mountain System are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico...
, located in the southwest portion of the state 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
roughly between the Umpqua River
Umpqua River
The Umpqua River on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west of the Cascade Range and south of the Willamette Valley,...
and the middle fork of the Coquille River
Coquille River
The Coquille River is a stream long, in southwestern Oregon in the United States. It drains a mountainous area of of the Southern Oregon Coast Range into the Pacific Ocean. Its watershed is located between that of the Coos River to the north and the Rogue River to the south.-Geography:The river,...
, beyond which are the Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
. To the east is the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
and to the west the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. This approximately 55 mile long mountain range contains mountains as high as 3,547 feet for Bone Mountain.
The Southern Oregon Coast Range is the southernmost section of the Oregon Coast Range
Oregon Coast Range
The Oregon Coast Range, often called simply the Coast Range and sometimes the Pacific Coast Range, is a mountain range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, in the U.S. state of Oregon along the Pacific Ocean...
, in the Pacific Coast Ranges
Pacific Coast Ranges
The Pacific Coast Ranges and the Pacific Mountain System are the series of mountain ranges that stretch along the West Coast of North America from Alaska south to Northern and Central Mexico...
, located in the southwest portion of the state 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
roughly between the Umpqua River
Umpqua River
The Umpqua River on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west of the Cascade Range and south of the Willamette Valley,...
and the middle fork of the Coquille River
Coquille River
The Coquille River is a stream long, in southwestern Oregon in the United States. It drains a mountainous area of of the Southern Oregon Coast Range into the Pacific Ocean. Its watershed is located between that of the Coos River to the north and the Rogue River to the south.-Geography:The river,...
, beyond which are the Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
. To the east is the Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
and to the west the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
. This approximately 55 mile long mountain range contains mountains as high as 3,547 feet for Bone Mountain.
Geology
As with the Oregon Coast Range as a whole, the Southern Oregon Coast Range likely began as an ocean island chain that collided with the continental tectonic plate of North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
more than 60 million years ago.Orr, Elizabeth and William Orr, and Ewart Baldwin. Geology of Oregon. Kendall/Hunt Publishing, 1992, 4th edition. In the Southern Range the 64 million year old Roseburg volcanics that formed this section are the oldest portions of the entire range. The range is part of a forearc basin that has slowly rotated about 51 degrees since the Eocene period. Much of the mountain structures are pillow basalt formations created during the volcanic period and then uplifted with the collision into the continental plate. Other geologic features are mainly the result of erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
and weather forces carving steam beds and valleys out of the rock formations.
Flora and fauna
The Oregon Coast Range is home to over 50 mammals, 100 species of birds, and nearly 30 reptiles or amphibians that spent a significant portion of their life cycle in the mountains. Field Guide to the Forested Plant Associations of the Northern Oregon Coast Range: Wildlife Habitat Relationships for the Coast Guide. ECOSHARE. Retrieved on June 26, 2007. Birds living in the Southern Coast Range include a variety of smaller and larger bird species.These include northern goshawks, peregrine falcon
Peregrine Falcon
The Peregrine Falcon , also known as the Peregrine, and historically as the Duck Hawk in North America, is a widespread bird of prey in the family Falconidae. A large, crow-sized falcon, it has a blue-gray back, barred white underparts, and a black head and "moustache"...
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, olive-sided flycatcher, and western bluebirds.Notice of intent, to conduct scoping meetings. Federal Register: May 9, 2005, pages 24450-24452. (Volume 70, Number 88). U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved on June 26, 2007. The Northern Spotted Owl
Northern Spotted Owl
The Northern Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis caurina, is one of three Spotted Owl subspecies. A Western North American bird in the family Strigidae, genus Strix, it is a medium-sized dark brown owl sixteen to nineteen inches in length and one to one and one sixth pounds. Females are larger than males...
, listed as a threatened species
Threatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
by the United States also inhabit the mountain forests.Carey, Andrew B., Janice A. Reid, and Scott P. Horton. Spotted Owl Home Range and Habitat use in Southern Oregon Coast Range. Journal of Wildlife Management. 54(1):11-17. U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved on June 26, 2007. Aquatic life includes river lamprey
Lamprey
Lampreys are a family of jawless fish, whose adults are characterized by a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth. Translated from an admixture of Latin and Greek, lamprey means stone lickers...
, Pacific lamprey, coastal cutthroat trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, Millicoma longnose dace, Umpqua chub, red-legged frogs, southern seep salamander, western pond turtles, coho salmon
Coho salmon
The Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, is a species of anadromous fish in the salmon family. Coho salmon are also known as silver salmon or "silvers". It is the state animal of Chiba, Japan.-Description:...
, Chinook salmon, steelhead trout, and others. Other wildlife includes fringed myotis bats, long-legged myotis bats, Townsend’s big-eared bat, fishers
Fisher (animal)
The fisher is a medium-size mammal native to North America. It is a member of the mustelid family, commonly referred to as the weasel family. The fisher is closely related to but larger than the American Marten...
, and sharptail snakes, northern flying squirrels, red tree voles, Roosevelt Elk, among others. Other small animals include shrews, moles, deer mice, and ermine.Aubry, Keith B., Mark J. Crites, and Stephen D. West. Regional Patterns of Small Mammal Abundance and Community Composition in Oregon and Washington. U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved on June 26, 2007.
Plants include large stands of Douglas-fir trees, western hemlock forests, cedar
Thuja plicata
Thuja plicata, commonly called Western or pacific red cedar, giant or western arborvitae, giant cedar, or shinglewood, is a species of Thuja, an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae native to western North America...
trees, with portions of these forests including old-growth stands. Other flora include Sitka spruce
Sitka Spruce
Picea sitchensis, the Sitka Spruce, is a large coniferous evergreen tree growing to 50–70 m tall, exceptionally to 95 m tall, and with a trunk diameter of up to 5 m, exceptionally to 6–7 m diameter...
, salmonberry
Salmonberry
Rubus spectabilis is a species of Rubus native to the west coast of North America from west central Alaska to California....
, 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:...
, tanoak, and western azalea. Portions of the range are in the Elliott State Forest
Elliott State Forest
Elliott State Forest is a state forest in the Oregon Coast Range in Coos County, between Coos Bay and Reedsport. The first state forest established in Oregon, it is named after the state's first state forester Francis Elliott....
.
Location and climate
The range begins around the Umpqua River with the Central Oregon Coast RangeCentral Oregon Coast Range
The Central Oregon Coast Range is the middle section of the Oregon Coast Range, in the Pacific Coast Ranges physiographic region, and located in the west-central portion of the state of Oregon, United States roughly between the Salmon River and the Umpqua River and the Willamette Valley and the...
to the north. Oregon Route 38 is the general divide between the two sections. On the southern end the Coquille River
Coquille River
The Coquille River is a stream long, in southwestern Oregon in the United States. It drains a mountainous area of of the Southern Oregon Coast Range into the Pacific Ocean. Its watershed is located between that of the Coos River to the north and the Rogue River to the south.-Geography:The river,...
’s middle fork provides the general dividing line between the Central Range and the Klamath Mountains
Klamath Mountains
The Klamath Mountains, which include the Siskiyou, Marble, Scott, Trinity, Trinity Alps, Salmon, and northern Yolla-Bolly Mountains, are a rugged lightly populated mountain range in northwest California and southwest Oregon in the United States...
to the south and east.
The climate of the mountains is of the mild maritime variety. It is characterized by cool dry summers followed by mild and wet winters. Most precipitation falls in the form of rain, with snow during the winter months at the higher elevations. Annual precipitation varies from 60 to 120 inches (150-300 cm), with more in the higher elevations. The average high temperature in January is 36.3°F (2.4°C), and the average high in July is 61.9°F (16.6°C) with temperature also varying by elevation.
Peaks
All peaks in the range over 3,000 feet in elevation.| Mountain Name | Elevation | County | |
|---|---|---|---|
| feet | metres | ||
| Bone Mountain | 3547 | 1,081 | Coos |
| Kenyon Mountain | 3300 | 1,006 | Coos |
| Buzzard Rock | 3051 | 930 | Douglas |
| Bear Mountain | 3031 | 924 | Douglas |
Rivers
- Drains to Pacific OceanPacific OceanThe Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
:- Coos RiverCoos RiverThe Coos River flows for about into Coos Bay along the Pacific coast of southwest Oregon in the United States. Formed by the confluence of its major tributaries, the South Fork Coos River and the Millicoma River, it drains an important timber-producing region of the Southern Oregon Coast Range...
- Coquille RiverCoquille RiverThe Coquille River is a stream long, in southwestern Oregon in the United States. It drains a mountainous area of of the Southern Oregon Coast Range into the Pacific Ocean. Its watershed is located between that of the Coos River to the north and the Rogue River to the south.-Geography:The river,...
- Umpqua RiverUmpqua RiverThe Umpqua River on the Pacific coast of Oregon in the United States is approximately long. One of the principal rivers of the Oregon Coast and known for bass and shad, the river drains an expansive network of valleys in the mountains west of the Cascade Range and south of the Willamette Valley,...
- Coos River