GEOMORPHIC ANALYSIS OF THE LUCKIAMUTE WATERSHED,
CENTRAL COAST RANGE, OREGON:
INTEGRATING APPLIED WATERSHED SCIENCE WITH
UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Steve Taylor
Earth and Physical Sciences Department
Western Oregon University
Monmouth, Oregon 97361
• Introduction
Watersheds as Undergraduate Service Learning
Laboratories
Geomorphic Significance of the central Oregon
Coast Range
• Luckiamute River Study Area
• Results of Geomorphic Analyses
• Summary and Conclusion
INTRODUCTION
WATERSHEDS AS SERVICE LEARNING LABORATORIES:
Natural outdoor science laboratories with defined boundaries
Local, place-based contextual learning facilities
Promote university-community linkages
Complex multivariate systems w/ process-response feedbacks
Amenable to quantitative techniques and geospatial technology
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE LUCKIAMUTE WATERSHED TO WOU:
“THE” local WOU watershed, socially relevant
Close proximity to campus, logistically accessible
Amenable to long-term studies in fluvial geomorphology,
environmental geology, conservation biology, and hydrology
Opportunities for cross-collaboration and community outreach
SUMMARY OF LONG-TERM RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY
SERVICE INITIATIVES IN THE LUCKIAMUTE BASIN
1999-Present
WOU Earth Science-Biology-Chemistry Class Field Trips and
Contextual Learning Modules (Fluvial Geomorphology, Geologic
Mapping, Hydrogeology, Environmental Geology, Botany, Aquatic
Invertebrates, Environmental Chemistry, Water Quality,
Geographic Information Systems)
2001
Environmental Science Institute Course
(Geomorphology, Env. Chemistry, Botany, Climatology)
2002
Proposal Development (Watershed Learning Model)
2003-2004
Watershed Assessment with Luckiamute Watershed Council
2003-Present
Community Support of Luckiamute Watershed Council
2004-Present
Funded Research: Hydrogeomorphic Analysis (USGS / CWest)
2004-Present
Funded Research: Spatial Distribution of Invasive Plants (OCF)
Geomorphic Significance of the Oregon Coast ange
Unglaciated, forested landscape
Historic uplift rates = 1-3 mm/yr
(Mitchell et al., 1994)
Eastward tilting = 1 x 10-8 rad/yr
(Adams, 1984)
Holocene erosion rates = 0.050.33 mm/yr (Roering et al., 2005)
de
Klamath
Mountains
0
A rc
Willamett
e L
o w l an d
R an g e
Zone
C as c a
Pleistocene uplift rates = 0.1-0.3
mm/yr (Kelsey et al., 1996)
Study
Area
C o as t
Active mountain building during
the past 10-15 Ma (Snavely et al.,
1993)
Subduction
Long history of oblique
convergence and tectonic
accretion (Wells et al., 1984)
Cascadia
Paleogene-Neogene marine
volcanic and sedimentary rocks
(Walker and MacLeod, 1991)
PHYSIOGRAPHIC MAP OF WESTERN OREGON
Volcanic
Oregon Coast Range
75 km
SAMPLINIG OF PREVIOUS WORK IN TYEE LANDSCAPES OF “THE OCR”
University of Washington – UC Berkeley Geomorphic Offspring and Related Cousins
Pierson (1977)
Dietrich and Dunne (1978)
Jackson and Beschta (1982)
Burroughs (1985)
Dietrich and others (1986)
Montgomery and Dietrich (1988)
Benda (1990)
Benda and Cundy (1990)
Reneau and Dietrich (1990)
Reneau and Dietrich (1991)
Personius and others (1993)
Montgomery and Dietrich (1994)
Benda and Dunne (1997)
Montgomery and others (1997)
Roering and others (1999)
Montgomery and others (2000)
Heimsath and others (2001)
Schmidt and others (2001)
Anderson and others (2002)
May (2002)
Casebeer (2003)
Lancaster and Hayes (2003)
May and Gresswell (2003)
Roering and others (2003)
Schmidt and others (2003)
Kobor and Roering (2004)
Roering and others (2005)
Debris flow processes
Sediment budgets
Bedload transport
Landslide modeling
Hillslope processes
Landscape evolution
Debris flow processes
Debris flow processes
Debris flow processes
Landscape evolution
Terrace chronologies
Landslide modeling
Debris flow processes
Hillslope process experiments
Hillslope process experiments
Landslide modeling
Weathering processes
Slope stability
Weathering processes
Debris flow processes
Sediment budgets
Debris flow processes
Sediment production
Slope stability
Slope Stability
Bedrock-channel processes
Slope processes / Landscape Evolution
Study Area
Salem
Oregon
Luckiamute
Study Area
Focus of Existing
Coast Range
Studies (27+ yrs)
Eugene
Coos Bay
Tyee Fm
Outcrop Belt
(Eocene, arkosic ss,
delta-submarine fan)
0
50 km
LUCKIAMUTE RIVER
STUDY AREA
Rickreall
Fanno Pk
el 1016 m
pcp 3531
Fa
nn
Ck
Li
ttl
e
Western
Oregon
University
Lu
o
Ri
dg
ck
ia
m
e
ut
e
Luckiamute
Landing
el 46 m
pcp 1143
Lu
ck
ia
m
ve
Ri
r
ut
e
k
So
ap
Wo
od
sC
Ck
Max
field
Ck
er
N
0
5 km
ve
r
R iv e
r
ooy
a
Cala
p
Ri
Wi
lla
pcp Mean Annual
Precipitation (mm)
me
tt
e
Riv
M
ar
ys
Ty
Tsr
Ty
III
Ty
Ty
Ty
Ty
Ty
Ty
Qal
IV
II
Ty
I
Ty
Tss
Ty
Tss
Tt
Qal
Tss
Tss
Tt
Qal
Tss
Tt
Qal
Fault
Hal
Tsr
aul
Tsr
Co
rv
Tsr
all
is
Fa
ult
yF
a l le
sV
Kin
g
Hal Holocene alluvium
Qal Quaternary alluvium
Oligocene intrusive
Ty Yamhill Formation
Tss Spencer Formation
Tt Tyee Formation
Tsr Siletz River Volcanics
t
Tt
0
N
5 km
HillslopeColluvial
Yamhill
Domain
(23%)
Spencer
Domain (29%)
Valley FloorAlluvial
HillslopeColluvial
Tyee
Domain (29%)
HillslopeColluvial
0
5 km
Siletz Domain
(19%)
1000
Luckiamute
Channel Elevation (meters)
Little Luckiamute
800
600
400
200
Confluence with
Willamette River
Tributary
Junction HSP
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
50 60000
80 90000
30 40000
100
10 20000
20 30000
40 50000
60 70000
70 80000
90100000
00 10000
Channel Distance from Divide (km)
Luckiamute River at Helmick State Park
Bankfull Stage 3/27/05 3800 cfs
Spencer-Valley Fill Domain
el 470 ft
Ts
Max Missoula Flood El. = 400 ft)
el 220 ft
Qtm (Bela, 1981)
Qff2 (O’Connor et al., 2001)
Willamette Silt
Siletz Domain
Spencer Domain
Willamette Valley
Yamhill-Intrusive Domain
Little Luckiamute River - Yamhill Domain
Tyee-Domain Landscape (from Roering et al., 2005)
MORPHOMETRIC ANALYSES
Total Luckiamute
Ad = 815 km2
Yamhill Domain
Subbasins (n=5)
Y5
Avg Subbasin
Ad = 10-20 km2
Y1
Y2
Y3
SP1
Y4
T2
Spencer Domain
Subbasins (n=6)
SP2
SP3
T1
T3
T4
T5
SP4
Tyee Domain
Subbasins (n=5)
S4
S1
0
5 km
S5
SP6
SP5
S3
S2
S6
Siletz Domain
Subbasins (n=6)
Methodology
●
GIS analysis of USGS 10-m DEMs
●
Software: ArcGIS and Terrain Analysis System
(TAS v1.5; Lindsay, 2002)
●
Subbasin boundaries and channel network
derived by the Coastal Landscape Analysis and
Modeling (CLAMS) group at PNW Forest
Research Lab (Miller et al., 2001)
50
0.8
Average
0.7
Median
Basin Relief (km)
0.6
30
20
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
10
0.1
0
0.0
5)
ll
i
h
m
Ya
(n
=
er
c
en
p
S
(n
=6
)
5)
ee
y
T
(n
=
6)
tz
li e
S
(n
=
ll
hi
m
a
Y
(n
=5
)
6)
er
c
n
e
Sp
(n
=
5)
ee
y
T
(n
=
6)
tz
li e
S
(n
=
Drainage Area (sq. km)
40
3
2
Average
2.5
1
tz
e
l
Si
ee
y
T
er
c
en
p
S
ll
hi
m
Ya
5)
5)
ll
hi
m
Ya
(n
=
er
c
en
p
S
(n
=6
)
5)
ee
y
T
(n
=
6)
tz
e
l
Si
(n
=
0
(n
=6
)
1
5)
0.5
(n
=
1.5
6)
2
(n
=
Basin Ruggedness
1.5
(n
=
Drainage Density (km-1)
Median
Summary of Slope Parameters for the Luckiamute Watershed
Valley FillSpencer
Siletz
YamhillIntrusive
Tyee
Max Slope
56.8o
61.9o
59.0o
62.0o
Avg Slope
3.2o
12.7o
11.9o
14.5o
Std Dev
3.98o
7.90o
7.97o
9.18o
Variance
15.84o
62.49o
63.51o
84.25o
90th
Percentile
9o
24o
24o
28o
% Cells >20o 0.7
18.3
15.4
25.9
% Cells >25o 0.2
7.7
7.9
14.3
No. Cells
1510287
1926899
2409140
2290702
Ya
m
(n h
=5 ill
)
Sp
e
(n nc
=6 er
)
5)
Ty
(n ee
=
)
1.0
Si
(n let
=6 z
Relative Stream Power Index
1.2
RSP = Ad x Tan()
Calculated at Basin
Outlet (Ad in km2)
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0.0
Luckiamute River
(Tyee Domain)
Max Valley Width = 938 m
Avg Valley Width = 274.1 m
Stdev Valley Width = 231.5 m
No. = 67
Little Luckiamute River
(Yamhill-Intrusive Domain)
Max Valley Width = 334 m
Avg Valley Width = 109.0 m
Stdev Valley Width = 73.2 m
No. = 43
1000
900
Valley Width (meters)
800
700
600
500
Little Luckiamute
Tyee Domain
400
300
200
Luckiamute
Yamhill Domain
100
0
0
10
20
30
Channel Distance from Divide (km)
40
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Tyee Domain in the Luckiamute Basin:
• Steeper, rugged hillslopes
• More finely dissected by low-order channels
• Tendency to spawn debris flow
• Lower stream-power index compared to Yamhill Domain
• Higher average valley widths, increased sediment accommodation space
Working Hypotheses for Tyee Domain:
• Hillslope transport rates are greater
than the ability of the channel
system to export sediment
• Steep hillslopes and increased
valley widths result in comparative
decrease of net sediment-transport
efficiency
Concluding Statements
(1) The Luckiamute Watershed represents a model outdoor
laboratory for contextual and service learning opportunities in
the Natural Sciences at Western Oregon University
(2) Geomorphic analysis suggests that spatial variation of
bedrock lithology is a primary factor controlling slope
gradients, hillslope delivery rates, and resulting sedimenttransport efficiency of the channel system.
(3) The Luckiamute Watershed is uniquely positioned at the
northern terminus of the Tyee outcrop belt, thus providing an
opportunity for comparative geomorphic analysis.
(4) The rich body of work from other Tyee landscapes in the OCR
will serve as the platform from which to extend future
research into other bedrock domains.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Funding Sources:
OSU Institute for Water and Watersheds (IWW)
USGS Water Resources Small-Grants Program
Oregon Community Foundation
Western Oregon University Faculty Development Fund
WOU Student Research Assistants:
Diane Hale, Jeff Budnick, Jamie Fisher, Chandra Drury,
Katie Knoll, Rachel Pirot, Jeff Kent
WOU Faculty Colleagues
2001 Environmental Science Institute: Bryan Dutton (Biology),
Pete Poston (Chemistry), Jeff Myers (Earth Science), Adele
Schepige (Education)
Ongoing Research Collaboration: Bryan Dutton (Biology)