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Ouzel Outfitters
Box 817
Bend, Oregon 97709
Res: 800.788.7238
Off: 541.385.5947
Fax: 541.385.0461
© 2012
Ouzel Outfitters
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Owyhee River Geology Trip Special
May 17th, 2012
Ouzel Outfitters Presents an Educational Owyhee River Adventure with Dr. Kyle House
 The Owyhee River Canyon between Rome and Birch Creek is a world-class floating traverse through a fantastic geological spectacle. There is no end to interesting geological features along the entire trip. Dr. Kyle House has been studying the geologic history of the Owyhee River Canyon for 12 years. Since 2007, he and his colleagues have been creating a detailed geologic map that documents the calamitous history of the Owyhee River. The mapping project has led Dr. House on hundreds of miles of hikes in the Owyhee outback and numerous river trips through the heart of its landscape. The geologic map forms the basis for an authoritative understanding of the geological processes that have acted to create the marvelous canyon of the Owyhee River - thus forming the basis for an informative river trip. Dr. House's very much enjoys sharing his extensive geological knowledge. Click on the following link to view the geologic map: http://owyheeflotsam.posterous.com/
Between Rome and Birch Creek, Oregon, the Owyhee River passes through an astounding landscape borne of a long series of geologic calamities. Among these are a series of massive, valley-choking lava flows; a nearly endless array of valley-flanking landslides; and huge flood-generated boulder bars that record the effects of catastrophic floods, landslide-dam failures and even the overflow of an ice-age lake that once sat in the Alvord Desert at the base of Steens Mountain.
Over the last 2 million years, the Owyhee Canyon has been invaded by no less than six valley-filling lava flows. The lavas poured down its tributaries and over its canyon rim creating massive dams. Spectacular examples of the lava dams are abundant along this reach of the river, including towering cliffs of lava 100s of meters high; spectacular lava deltas that record the advance of the lava flows into large lakes of their own creation; and a series of ancient riverbeds below each lava flow that chronicle the Owyhee’s inexorable journey to the bottom of its modern gorge.
The Owyhee lava dams were immense, some measuring 10s of kilometers in downstream length. At least some of them blocked the river for up to 20,000 years at a time. Once the Owyhee had filled the lakes with sediment and begun to carve its ultimate path around or through the dams, it generated huge landslides as it impinged on new vally walls, often resulting in landslide dams and short-lived lakes that failed catastrophically and moved huge boulders downstream |
Trip Details
Photo Gallery
Owyhee Video
Area Info Links
About Dr. House
BLM Float Guide
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| Photos Courtesy of Dr. Kyle House |
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