Crooked River (Oregon)
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The Crooked River is a
tributary A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream (''main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which they ...
, long, of the
Deschutes River The Deschutes River ( ) in central Oregon is a major tributary of the Columbia River. The river provides much of the drainage on the eastern side of the Cascade Range in Oregon, gathering many of the tributaries that descend from the drier, easte ...
in the
U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
. The river begins at the confluence of the
South Fork Crooked River The South Fork Crooked River is a tributary, long, of the Crooked River (Oregon), Crooked River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Starting southeast of Hampton, Deschutes County, Oregon, Hampton in Deschutes County, Oregon, Deschutes County, the Sout ...
and Beaver Creek in southeastern Crook County. Of the two tributaries, the South Fork Crooked River is the larger and is sometimes considered part of the Crooked River proper. A variant name of the South Fork Crooked River is simply "Crooked River". The Deschutes River flows north into the
Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...
.


Course

The South Fork Crooked River originates in an area called Misery Flat, along the
Deschutes County Deschutes County ( ) is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 198,253. The county seat is Bend. The county was created in 1916 out of part of Crook County and was named for the Deschu ...
, Lake County and Harney County boundaries, north of Glass Buttes. The South Fork's tributaries drain
Hampton Buttes Hampton Buttes is a small range of mountains or hills in the U.S. state of Oregon. The range lies mostly in Crook County but extends south and west into Deschutes County in Central Oregon near the unincorporated community of Hampton. U.S. Route ...
to the west and Mackey Butte to the east. The South Fork Crooked River flows north for , collecting tributaries including Buck Creek and Twelvemile Creek before joining Beaver Creek to form the Crooked River proper near
Paulina Paulina or Paullina (, ) is a common female given name Latin. Paulina was a name shared by the mother, sister, and niece of the Roman Emperor, Roman emperor Hadrian. Paulina Major, mother of Hadrian (Domitia) Paulina (or Paullina) Major (''Ma ...
in Crook County. Beaver Creek arises in two forks, North Fork and South Fork Beaver Creek, in
Grant County Grant County may refer to: Places ;Australia * County of Grant, Victoria ;United States * Grant County, Arkansas * Grant County, Indiana * Grant County, Kansas *Grant County, Kentucky Grant County is a county located in the northern pa ...
. South Fork Beaver Creek drains the slopes of Snow Mountain and Funny Butte before joining the North Fork. Beaver Creek then flows west through Paulina Valley and is joined by Grindstone Creek just upstream from Paulina. Downstream of Paulina, Beaver Creek joins the South Fork Crooked River to form the Crooked River proper. From the confluence of the South Fork and Beaver Creek, the Crooked River flows west, collecting the tributary Camp Creek from the south and then the North Fork Crooked River from the north. The North Fork Crooked River arises in Big Summit Prairie on the southern side of the
Ochoco Mountains The Ochoco Mountains are a mountain range in central Oregon in the United States, located at the western end of the Blue Mountains (Pacific Northwest), Blue Mountains. They were formed when Permian, Triassic, and Jurassic rocks were slowly uplif ...
. Below the North Fork confluence, the Crooked River continues flowing west, between the Ochoco Mountains to the north and the
Maury Mountains The Maury Mountains are a mountain range in Crook County, Oregon, Crook County, Oregon. Much of the range is within the Ochoco National Forest. Outstanding features of the range are the Maury Mountains Agate Beds and Antelope Flat Reservoir. ...
to the south. The river passes
Post Post, POST, or posting may refer to: Postal services * Mail, the postal system, especially in Commonwealth of Nations countries **An Post, the Irish national postal service **Canada Post, Canadian postal service **Deutsche Post, German postal s ...
, the geographic center of Oregon. Then, at about
river mile A river mile is a measure of distance in miles along a river from its river mouth, mouth. River mile numbers begin at zero and increase further upstream. The corresponding metric unit using kilometre, kilometers is the river kilometer. They are an ...
 87 (river kilometer 140), the river flows into
Prineville Reservoir The Prineville Reservoir is in the high desert hills of Central Oregon, Oregon, United States. The reservoir is on the Crooked River southeast of Prineville, and east of Bend. This reservoir is a popular retreat for most of Central Oregon. ...
, created by Bowman Dam (also called Prineville Dam). Below the dam, the river bends northward to
Prineville, Oregon Prineville is a city in and the county seat, seat of Crook County, Oregon, United States. It was named for the first merchant to establish businesses in the present location, Barney Prine. The population was 10,429 at the United States Census 2010 ...
, where it is joined by
Ochoco Creek Ochoco Creek is a tributary of the Crooked River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Part of the drainage basin of the Columbia River, it arises in the Ochoco National Forest in Wheeler County and flows generally southwest and west for most of its len ...
from the northeast. Like the North Fork, Ochoco Creek drains the Ochoco Mountains. After Prineville, the Crooked River flows northwest, collecting McKay Creek and several other minor tributaries before emptying into
Lake Billy Chinook Lake Billy Chinook is a reservoir in Jefferson County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Created by the Round Butte Dam in 1964, Lake Billy Chinook lies in a canyon at the confluence of the Crooked, Deschutes, and Metolius rivers near Culver and Mad ...
, an impoundment of the Deschutes River created by
Round Butte Dam Round Butte Dam is a rockfill-type hydroelectric dam on the Deschutes River, in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located in Jefferson County and owned by the power company Portland General Electric, its reservoir is called Lake Billy Chinook. The d ...
. The dam also impounds the lower reach of the Crooked River. The Crooked River enters the Deschutes River about upstream from the larger river's confluence with the Columbia River, to the north. The map includes mile markers along the Deschutes. Some of the Crooked River's drainage basin lies within the
Ochoco National Forest The Ochoco National Forest is located in the Ochoco Mountains in Central Oregon in the United States, north and east of the city of Prineville, location of the national forest headquarters. It encompasses of rimrock, canyons, geologic oddit ...
and the
Crooked River National Grassland Crooked River National Grassland is a National Grassland located in Jefferson County in the north-central part of the U.S. state of Oregon. It has a land area of . It contains two National Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Deschutes River and the Cr ...
. A stretch of the river, from the national grassland boundary to Dry Creek, was classified as a recreational part of the
National Wild and Scenic Rivers System The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-542), enacted by the U.S. Congress to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural, and recreational values in a free- ...
in 1988. Most of the North Fork Crooked River is also part of the wild and scenic system. Bridges over the Crooked River include the
Crooked River Railroad Bridge The Crooked River Railroad Bridge, part of a BNSF Railway line between the Columbia River and Bend, Oregon, crosses Oregon's Crooked River Canyon in southern Jefferson County. The bridge is above the river and when it was completed in 1911, it ...
owned by
BNSF Railway BNSF Railway is the largest freight railroad in the United States. One of six North American Class I railroads, BNSF has 36,000 employees, of track in 28 states, and over 8,000 locomotives. It has three Transcontinental railroad, transcontine ...
, the Rex T. Barber Veterans Memorial Bridge that carries U.S. Route 97, and a second railroad bridge that carries the city of Prineville railway.


History

The Crooked River and its tributaries were once a major spawning ground for
anadromous Fish migration is mass relocation by fish from one area or body of water to another. Many types of fish migrate on a regular basis, on time scales ranging from daily to annually or longer, and over distances ranging from a few metres to thousa ...
fish such as spring
Chinook salmon The Chinook salmon (''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha'') is the largest and most valuable species of Oncorhynchus, Pacific salmon. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other vernacular names for the species include king salmon, quinn ...
,
steelhead trout Steelhead, or occasionally steelhead trout, is the anadromous form of the coastal rainbow trout or Columbia River redband trout (''O. m. gairdneri'', also called redband steelhead). Steelhead are native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacif ...
, and Pacific lamprey. Non-migratory fish such as
Columbia River redband trout The Columbia River redband trout, the inland redband trout or the interior redband troutbull trout The bull trout (''Salvelinus confluentus'') is a char of the family Salmonidae native to northwestern North America. Historically, ''S. confluentus'' has been known as the " Dolly Varden" (''S. malma''), but was reclassified as a separate speci ...
, as well as various non-game fish were also abundant. Fish populations began to drop in the early 19th century due to irrigation withdrawals. Early explorers described the lower Crooked River's floodplain as large and filled with waist-high grasses and willow trees ("Ochoco" is a
Paiute Paiute (; also Piute) refers to three non-contiguous groups of Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. Although their languages are related within the Numic group of Uto-Aztecan languages, these three languages do not form a single subgroup and th ...
word for "willow"). Beaver were also plentiful, especially on the upper river and tributaries, thus fur trappers frequented the region until the beaver were depleted. The Cove Power Plant on the lower Crooked River, built around 1910, effectively blocked upriver migration of spring Chinook Salmon during low streamflow conditions. In addition,
Ochoco Dam The Ochoco Dam is a dam in Central Oregon, east of Prineville in Crook County, Oregon, in the United States. The dam impounds Ochoco Creek to create Ochoco Reservoir. The reservoir holds of water for irrigation and flood control, and is also u ...
, built in 1920 on Ochoco Creek, blocked fish passage completely. Round Butte Dam, built in the 1950s on the Deschutes River below the Crooked River confluence, included fish passage facilities. But attempts to pass anadromous fish failed by the late 1960s, thus blocking migratory fish, such as salmon, from historic spawning and rearing habitat in the Crooked River basin. Redband trout are the only native game fish left in the Crooked River basin. There are efforts currently underway to reestablish fish passage at the dam. Some hatchery fish have been introduced in an attempt to mitigate the losses. Water diversion in the Crooked River basin for irrigation agriculture began in the 19th century. Two large reservoirs were built to supply irrigation water during the summer growing season: Prineville Reservoir on the Crooked River and Ochoco Reservoir on Ochoco Creek. Today, irrigation diversions during the summer remove most of the Crooked River's flow below Prineville.


Recreation


Fishing

Fishing along the
main stem In hydrology, a main stem or mainstem (also known as a trunk) is "the primary downstream segment of a river, as contrasted to its tributaries". The mainstem extends all the way from one specific headwater to the outlet of the river, although t ...
above
Prineville Reservoir The Prineville Reservoir is in the high desert hills of Central Oregon, Oregon, United States. The reservoir is on the Crooked River southeast of Prineville, and east of Bend. This reservoir is a popular retreat for most of Central Oregon. ...
is generally poor. Fish populations there have been adversely affected by irrigation withdrawals, drought, and degraded
riparian zone A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. In some regions, the terms riparian woodland, riparian forest, riparian buffer zone, riparian corridor, and riparian strip are used to characterize a ripari ...
s. The reservoir, which is long and covers , supports populations of
rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributary, tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia. The steelhead (sometimes called steelhead trout) is an Fish migration#Classification, ...
,
smallmouth bass The smallmouth bass (''Micropterus dolomieu'') is a species of freshwater fish in the Centrarchidae, sunfish family (biology), family (Centrarchidae) of the order (biology), order Centrarchiformes. It is the type species of its genus ''Micropterus ...
,
largemouth bass The largemouth bass (''Micropterus nigricans'') is a carnivorous, freshwater fish, freshwater, ray-finned fish in the Centrarchidae (sunfish) family, native to the eastern United States, eastern and central United States, southeastern Canada an ...
, catfish,
crappie Crappies () are two species of North American freshwater fish of the genus ''Pomoxis'' in the family Centrarchidae (sunfishes). Both species of crappies are popular game fish among recreational anglers. Etymology The genus name ''Pomoxi ...
, and
crayfish Crayfish are freshwater crustaceans belonging to the infraorder Astacidea, which also contains lobsters. Taxonomically, they are members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea. They breathe through feather-like gills. Some spe ...
. It is open to fishing year-round from boats or from the shore. The situation below Bowman Dam, which creates the reservoir, is quite different. According to ''Fishing in Oregon'', the Crooked River is "one of the most productive trout streams in Oregon." Most productive are the of easily accessible stream below the dam. This stretch of water, kept cool by water releases from the reservoir, supports large populations of
redband trout Redband trout are a group of three recognized subspecies of rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss''). They occur in three distinct regions in Pacific basin tributaries and endorheic basins in the western United States. The three subspecies are ...
. Open all year to
fly fishing Fly fishing is an angling technique that uses an ultra-lightweight lure called an artificial fly, which typically mimics small invertebrates such as flying and aquatic insects to attract and catch fish. Because the mass of the fly lure is in ...
, this "classic tail-water fishery" is about an hour's drive from Bend. Another stretch of good fishing can be found in the Crooked River Gorge further downstream, but access is more difficult.


Camping

Prineville Reservoir State Park has two developed campgrounds as well primitive sites along the shore of the lake created by Bowman Dam. Choices range from tent sites to hookup sites for
recreational vehicle A recreational vehicle, often abbreviated as RV, is a motor vehicle or trailer that includes living quarters designed for accommodation. Types of RVs include motorhomes, campervans, coaches, caravans (also known as travel trailers and ca ...
s (RVs) to log cabins "with full amenities". The park is open for camping and day use year-round. Adjacent to the state park and its camping areas is the
Prineville Reservoir Wildlife Area Prineville Reservoir Wildlife Area is a wildlife area near Prineville, Oregon. It is administered by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. It also borders Prineville Reservoir, Prineville Reservoir State Park. Wildlife visible includes ba ...
, managed by the
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is a state government, government agency of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for programs protecting Oregon fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. The agency operates hatcheries, i ...
and the Bureau of Reclamation, which is open for dispersed camping as well as water activities, hiking, and wildlife viewing. The Lower Crooked Wild and Scenic River flows through of public lands overseen by the
Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...
and overseen by the
Bureau of Reclamation The Bureau of Reclamation, formerly the United States Reclamation Service, is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency under the U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees water resource management, specifically as it ...
. The Chimney Rock segment below Bowman Dam has nine developed campsites, seven of which are meant for single-family camping, and two that are multi-family or group sites. All are fee sites; all have toilets; only one, Chimney Rock, has drinking water. Opposite the Chimney Rock Campground is the trailhead for Chimney Rock Trail, which winds up a side canyon for to higher-elevation views of the main canyon and the Cascade Range. The BLM also oversees two day-use sites along this stretch of the river. All of these installations are connected by
Oregon Route 27 Oregon Route 27 is an Oregon state highway located in Deschutes County, Oregon, Deschutes County and Crook County, Oregon, Crook County. OR 27 traverses the Crooked River Highway No. 14 of the Oregon state highway system. Known a ...
, which follows the river between the dam and Prineville. Near Terrebonne, downstream of Prineville,
Smith Rock State Park Smith Rock State Park is a state park located in central Oregon's High Desert (Oregon), High Desert near the communities of Redmond, Oregon, Redmond and Terrebonne, Oregon, Terrebonne. The day-use area of the park is open daily from dawn to dusk ...
has an open area for tent camping. RV camping, open fires, and sleeping in cars are not allowed. The park is open for tenting and day use year-round.


Boating

Prineville Reservoir and its state park are used for boating and related activities including kayaking, paddle boating, waterskiing,
wakeboarding Wakeboarding is a water sport in which the rider, standing on a wakeboard (a board with foot bindings), is towed behind a motorboat across its wake and especially up off the crest in order to perform aerial maneuvers. A hallmark of wakeboarding ...
, and
windsurfing Windsurfing is a wind-propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the Californian aerospace and surf culture. Windsurfing gain ...
. The state park has 32 boat moorages available during summer. An stretch of the river below Bowman Dam is suitable for canoeing when the river is not too crowded with anglers. Downstream of Prineville, expert kayakers sometimes run an segment rated class 4 to 5 on the International Scale of River Difficulty and below that another stretch of rated class 4.


Other

Ochoco State Scenic Viewpoint Ochoco State Scenic Viewpoint is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. See also * List of Oregon state parks __NOTOC__ This is a list of state parks and other facilities manage ...
, on a butte overlooking Prineville, has views of the Crooked River and the Ochoco Mountains. The park includes an area with rare plants. Smith Rock State Park, off U.S. Route 97 about east of Terrebonne, has thousands of
rock climbing Rock climbing is a climbing sports discipline that involves ascending climbing routes, routes consisting of natural rock in an outdoor environment, or on artificial resin climbing walls in a mostly indoor environment. Routes are documented in c ...
routes as well as hiking and biking trails in a rugged canyon setting. The ancestral Crooked River helped create the crags and pinnacles in this park by eroding the interior of a volcanic vent over millions of years. In addition to the climbing routes, many of which are highly challenging, the park is open to swimming, fishing, photography, picnicking, and wildlife viewing. Amenities include restrooms with showers. The park covers more than among large bends in the river, and its trail system totals more than . Along Route 97, about north of Redmond and downstream of Smith Rock is the
Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint The Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint is a state park on the Crooked River in Oregon, United States. It is on the border of Deschutes and Jefferson counties. History The facility is named in honor of Peter Skene Ogden who first enter ...
overlooking the Crooked River Gorge. The gorge at this point is about deep and wide. Amenities at this day-use park include picnic tables and restrooms.
The Cove Palisades State Park The Cove Palisades State Park is a state park in eastern Jefferson County, Oregon, near Culver and Madras in the central part of the state, and is administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department. It is located on the waters and ...
along Lake Billy Chinook is a complex of day-use areas, campgrounds, cabins, and a marina and restaurant along the lake arms that include the Crooked and Deschutes rivers. The park, which covers more than , has a wide variety of amenities such as houseboat rentals, an amphitheater, basketball hoops, and a camp store. The Crooked River Campground within the park opens in spring and closes at the end of September, while a companion Crooked River day-use area is open all year.


See also

* List of rivers in Oregon *
List of longest streams of Oregon Seventy-seven rivers and creeks of at least 50 miles (80 km) in total length are the longest streams of the U.S. state of Oregon. All of these streams originate in the United States except the longest, the Columbia River, Columbia, whi ...


References


External links

* * {{authority control Rivers of Oregon Wild and Scenic Rivers of the United States Rivers of Crook County, Oregon Rivers of Deschutes County, Oregon Rivers of Jefferson County, Oregon