| John Day River | |
|---|---|
 John Day River atClarno | |
 Map of the John Day watershed | |
| Etymology | John Day, a hunter and fur trapper[1] |
| Native name | Mah-Hah (Cayuse) |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | Strawberry Mountains |
| • location | Malheur National Forest,Grant County |
| • coordinates | 44°14′44″N118°33′08″W / 44.245439°N 118.5521617°W /44.245439; -118.5521617[2] |
| • elevation | 6,681 ft (2,036 m)[3] |
| Mouth | Columbia River |
• coordinates | 45°43′57″N120°38′57″W / 45.7326252°N 120.6492244°W /45.7326252; -120.6492244[2] |
• elevation | 268 ft (82 m)[3] |
| Length | 284 mi (457 km)[4][5] |
| Basin size | 8,000 sq mi (21,000 km2)[5] |
| Discharge | |
| • location | USGS gage 14048000, McDonald Ferry,river mile 20.9,45°35′16″N120°24′30″W / 45.587778°N 120.408333°W /45.587778; -120.408333[6] |
| • average | 2,075 cu ft/s (58.8 m3/s)[6] |
| • minimum | 0 cu ft/s (0 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 43,300 cu ft/s (1,230 m3/s) |
| Basin features | |
| Tributaries | |
| • left | South Fork John Day River |
| • right | North Fork John Day River |
| Type | Recreational |
| Designated | October 28, 1988 |
TheJohn Day River is a tributary of theColumbia River, approximately 284 miles (457 km) long, in northeasternOregon in theUnited States. It is known as the Mah-Hah River by theCayuse people. Undammed along its entire length, the river is the fourth longest free-flowing river in the contiguous United States. There is extensive use of its waters forirrigation. Its course furnishes habitat for diverse species, including wildsteelhead andChinook salmon runs.[4][7] However, the steelhead populations are under federalEndangered Species Act (ESA) protections, and the Chinook salmon have been proposed for such protection.
The river was named forJohn Day, a member of thePacific Fur Company's overland expedition to the mouth of the Columbia River that leftMissouri in 1810. Day struggled through eastern Oregon during the winter of 1811–12. While descending the Columbia River in April 1812, he andRamsay Crooks were robbed and stripped naked by Native Americans at the mouth of the river that now bears his name, forcing them to hike 80 miles (130 km) back to friendlyUmatilla Indians under extreme conditions.[1]
The absence of dams on the river causes its flow to greatly fluctuate throughout the year depending on snowpack and rainfall within the watershed.[8] The highest flow recorded at a gauge on the lower John Day was 43,300 cubic feet per second (1,230 m3/s) on January 2, 1997. The lowest flow was no flow at all, which occurred on September 2, 1966; from August 15 to September 16, 1973; and on nine days in August 1977. The average flow at the gauge is 2,075 cubic feet per second (58.8 m3/s).[6]
Through its tributaries, the river drains much of the western side of theBlue Mountains, flowing across the sparsely populated arid part of the state east of theCascade Range in a northwest zigzag, then entering the Columbia upstream from theColumbia River Gorge. It flows through exceptionally scenic canyons in its upper course, with several significantpaleontological sites along its banks.[5][9] Elevations within the watershed range from 268 feet (82 m) at the river's mouth to more than 9,000 feet (2,700 m) in theStrawberry Mountains.[3][10]
The main branch of the John Day River rises in the Strawberry Mountains in easternGrant County.[11] The North Fork heads on the western slope of theElkhorn Mountains in northeastern Grant County.[12] The Middle Fork rises near the crest of the Blue Mountains on the eastern edge of Grant County. The South Fork's source is in northernHarney County, about 10 miles (16 km) south of the Grant County line. The main, south and middle forks each have their heads in different parts of theMalheur National Forest, while the North Fork's source is located in theWallowa-Whitman National Forest. The main fork flows initially north, then west through the John Day Valley and through the cities ofPrairie City,John Day andMount Vernon. AtDayville, in western Grant County, it is joined from the south by theSouth Fork John Day River, then flows north through Picture Gorge and the Sheep Rock Unit of theJohn Day Fossil Beds National Monument.
AtKimberly in northwestern Grant County, it is joined from the east by theNorth Fork John Day River (which had already joined with theMiddle Fork John Day River above Monument, Grant County, Oregon). The river then flows west acrossWheeler County. At the county line withJefferson County it flows north, past the Clarno Unit of the John Day Fossil Beds National Monument. As it approaches the Columbia River in north-central Oregon, it flows in an increasingly meandering course, forming the boundary betweenSherman County to the west andGilliam County to the east.
The John Day River joins the Columbia from the southeast approximately 16 miles (26 km) northeast ofBiggs. The mouth of the river is on the narrowLake Umatilla reservoir, formed on the Columbia by theJohn Day Dam, approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) downstream from the mouth of the John Day.
The John Day is navigable by rafts and other small river craft by boaters who obtain permits provided by theBureau of Land Management.[10]
Its lower course is used for irrigation of cropland and ranching.[4] In 1988, theUnited States Congress designated 147.5 miles (237.4 km) of the river fromService Creek toTumwater Falls asWild and Scenic for its recreational opportunities. The segment of the river is a popular destination for anadromoussteelhead and warm waterbass fishing, as well aswhitewater rafting.[13]
In addition to wild springchinook salmon and bass, the river furnishes habitat forColumbia River redband trout,bull trout, andwestslope cutthroat trout.[7][14] There are no hatchery salmon or steelhead released in the John Day River.
