South Fork John Day River

South Fork John Day River
South Fork John Day River at Dayville
South Fork John Day River is located in Oregon
South Fork John Day River
Location of the mouth of the South Fork John Day River in Oregon
EtymologyJohn Day, fur trapper
Location
CountryUnited States
StateOregon
CountiesHarney and Grant
Physical characteristics
Source 
 • locationnear Alsup Mountain, Malheur National Forest, Harney County, Oregon
 • coordinates43°55′09″N 119°19′17″W / 43.91917°N 119.32139°W / 43.91917; -119.32139[1]
 • elevation5,396 ft (1,645 m)[2]
MouthJohn Day River
 • location
Dayville, Grant County, Oregon
 • coordinates
44°28′26″N 119°32′10″W / 44.47389°N 119.53611°W / 44.47389; -119.53611[1]
 • elevation
2,326 ft (709 m)[1]
Length60 mi (97 km)[3]
Basin size606 sq mi (1,570 km2)[4]
Discharge 
 • locationDayville, Oregon, near mouth[5]
 • average179 cu ft/s (5.1 m3/s)[5]
TypeRecreational
DesignatedOctober 28, 1988

The South Fork John Day River is a 60-mile (97 km) tributary of the John Day River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It begins in the Malheur National Forest in Harney County about 25 miles (40 km) north-northwest of Burns and flows generally north to Dayville, where it meets the main stem of the John Day River. Along the way, the stream passes through the abandoned town of Izee. The Black Canyon Wilderness in the Ochoco National Forest lies within the river's drainage basin.[6]

A total of 47 miles (76 km) of the river, from the Malheur National Forest boundary to Smoky Creek, are classified "recreational" in the National Wild and Scenic River (NWSR) system, created under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968, and offer opportunities for hiking, swimming, camping, hunting, and fishing.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "South Fork John Day River". Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). United States Geological Survey (USGS). November 28, 1980. Retrieved September 3, 2008.
  2. ^ Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  3. ^ "Bull Trout Recovery Plan: Columbia River/Klamath (2002), Chapter 9: John Day River" (PDF). United States Fish and Wildlife Service. pp. iv–3. Retrieved August 12, 2010.
  4. ^ Palmer, Tim (2014). Field Guide to Oregon Rivers. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press. pp. 248–49. ISBN 978-0-87071-627-0.
  5. ^ a b "USGS 14039500 South Fork John Day Near Dayville, OR". United States Geological Survey. 2008. Retrieved September 4, 2008. Average discharge rate was calculated by adding average annual discharge rates for the four calendar years, 1952–55, for which data was available from the USGS and dividing by 4.
  6. ^ Oregon Atlas & Gazetteer (Map) (1991 ed.). DeLorme Mapping. § 71, 77.
  7. ^ "South Fork John Day River". U.S. National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. 2007. Archived from the original on June 10, 2010. Retrieved September 4, 2008.