John Day River 702734 218670194 2008-06-11T17:42:14Z Esprqii 1955864 try to improve lede and clean up other sections a bit {{Geobox River <!-- *** Name section *** --> | name = John Day River | native_name = | other_name = | other_name1 = <!-- *** Image *** ---> | image = John Day River.jpg | image_size = | image_caption = <!-- *** Country etc. *** --> | country = United States | country1 = | state = Oregon | state1 = | region = | region1 = | district = | district1 = | city = | city1 = <!-- *** Geography *** --> | length_imperial = 281 | length_note = <ref name="encyclopedia">[http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-JohnDay.html], John Day - Encyclopedia.com</ref> | watershed_imperial = 5090 | watershed_note = <ref name="usgs">[http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?site_no=14046500 National Water Information System], [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]]</ref> | discharge_location = [[Columbia River]], east of [[Biggs, Oregon]] | discharge_imperial = 1160 | discharge_max_imperial = 40200 | discharge_min_imperial = 6 | discharge_note = <ref name="usgs"/> | discharge1_location = | discharge1_imperial = <!-- *** Source *** --> | source_name = [[Strawberry Mountains]] | source_location = [[Malheur National Forest]] | source_district = | source_region = | source_state = | source_country = [[Grant County, Oregon|Grant County]] | source_lat_d = | source_lat_m = | source_lat_s = | source_lat_NS = N | source_long_d = | source_long_m = | source_long_s = | source_long_EW = W | source_coordinates_note = | source_elevation_imperial = 9000 | source_elevation_note = <ref name="blm">[http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/johnday/index.php John Day River] - Bureau of Land Management</ref> | source_length_imperial = <!-- *** Mouth *** --> | mouth_name = [[Columbia River]] | mouth_location = | mouth_district = | mouth_region = | mouth_state = | mouth_country = | mouth_lat_d = | mouth_lat_m = | mouth_lat_s = | mouth_lat_NS = N | mouth_long_d = | mouth_long_m = | mouth_long_s = | mouth_long_EW = W | mouth_coordinates_note = | mouth_elevation_imperial = 265 | mouth_elevation_note = <ref name="blm"/> <!-- *** Tributaries *** --> | tributary_left = South Fork John Day River | tributary_left1 = | tributary_left2 = | tributary_left3 = | tributary_left4 = | tributary_right = North Fork John Day River | tributary_right1 = | tributary_right2 = | tributary_right3 = <!-- *** Free fields *** --> | free_name = | free_value = <!-- *** Map section *** --> | map = | map_size = | map_caption = }} :''This article is about the John Day River in eastern [[Oregon]]. There is also the [[John Day River (northwestern Oregon)|John Day River]] in northwestern Oregon.'' The '''John Day River''' is a tributary of the [[Columbia River]], approximately {{convert|281|mi|km|0}} long, in northeastern [[Oregon]] in the [[United States]]. Undammed along its entire length, the river is the second longest free-flowing river in the conterminous United States. There is extensive use of its waters for [[irrigation]]. Its free-flowing course furnishes habitat for diverse species, including wild [[rainbow trout|steelhead]] runs. However, the steelhead populations are under federal [[endangered species]] protections, and [[chinook salmon]] have been proposed for ESA protection. The river was named for [[John Day (fur trader)|John Day]], a member of the [[Astor Expedition]], an overland expedition to the mouth of the [[Columbia River]] that left from [[St. Louis, Missouri]] in 1810. Day wandered lost through this part of Oregon in the winter of 1811&ndash;12. ==Drainage basin== [[Image:Joda sheeprock.jpg|thumb|left|The John Day River passing by Sheep Rock in the [[John Day Fossil Beds National Monument]]]] Through its tributaries, the river drains much of the western side of the [[Blue Mountains (Oregon)|Blue Mountains]], flowing across the sparsely populated arid part of the state east of the [[Cascade Range]] in a northwest zigzag, then entering the Columbia upstream from the [[Columbia River Gorge]]. It flows through exceptionally scenic canyons in its upper course, with several significant [[paleontology|paleontological]] sites along its banks. The main branch of the John Day River rises in the [[Strawberry Mountains]] in eastern [[Grant County, Oregon|Grant County]], and the four main forks each have their heads in different parts of the [[Malheur National Forest]]. The main fork flows initially north, then west through the John Day Valley and through the city of [[John Day, Oregon|John Day]]. At [[Dayville, Oregon|Dayville]] in western Grant County it is joined from the south by the [[South Fork John Day River]], then flows north through Picture Gorge and past the Sheep Rock Unit of the [[John Day Fossil Beds National Monument]]. At [[Kimberly, Oregon|Kimberly]] in northwestern Grant County, it is joined from the east by the [[North Fork John Day River]] (which had already joined with the [[Middle Fork of the John Day River]] above Monument, Grant County, Oregon). The river then flows west across [[Wheeler County, Oregon|Wheeler County]]. At the county line with [[Jefferson County, Oregon|Jefferson 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 [[meander]]ing course, forming the boundary between [[Sherman County, Oregon|Sherman County]] to the west and [[Gilliam County, Oregon|Gilliam County]] to the east. It joins the Columbia from the southeast approximately {{convert|16|mi|km|0}} northeast of [[Biggs Junction, Oregon|Biggs]]. The mouth of the river is on the narrow [[Lake Umatilla]] reservoir, formed on the Columbia by the [[John Day Dam]], approximately {{convert|2|mi|km|1}} downstream from the mouth of the John Day. ==Recreation and ecosystem== [[Image:DSCN6637 mouthofjohndayriver e.jpg|right|thumb|Mouth of the John Day River on the Columbia, spanned by a railroad bridge]] The John Day is navigable by rafts and other small river craft. Its lower course is used for irrigation of cropland and ranching. In 1988, the [[United States Congress]] designated {{convert|147.5|mi|km|1}} of the river from [[Service Creek]] to [[Tumwater Falls (Oregon)|Tumwater Falls]] as the '''John Day Wild and Scenic River''', as part of the [[National Wild and Scenic River]] program. The segment of the river is a popular destination for anadromous [[rainbow trout|steelhead]] and warm water [[bass (fish)|bass]] fishing, as well as [[whitewater rafting]]. In addition to wild spring [[chinook salmon]] and bass, the river furnishes habitat for [[redband trout]], [[bull trout]], and [[westslope cutthroat trout]]. There are no hatchery salmon or [[steelhead]] released in the John Day River. ==See also== *[[List of Oregon rivers]] *[[List of National Wild and Scenic Rivers]] ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.nps.gov/rivers/wsr-john-day.html National Park Service: John Day Wild and Scenic River] *[http://www.wcei.org/Articles/BigDry/johndayriver.html Irrigation and the John Day River] *[http://nature.org/wherewework/northamerica/states/oregon/preserves/art6799.html The Nature Conservancy: Middle Fork John Day River] [[Category:Rivers of Oregon]] [[Category:Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States]] [[bg:Джон Дей (река)]]