Malheur National Forest
The Malheur National Forest is a National Forest in the U.S. state of Oregon. It contains more than 1.4 million acres (5,700 km2) in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. The forest consists of high desert grasslands, sage, juniper, pine, fir, and other tree species. Elevations vary from about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) to the 9,038-foot (2,755 m) peak of Strawberry Mountain. The Strawberry Mountains extend east to west through the center of the forest. U.S. Route 395 runs south to north through the forest, while U.S. Route 26 runs east to west.
| Malheur National Forest | |
|---|---|
 Strawberry Lake in the Malheur National Forest | |
  | |
| Location | Oregon, U.S. |
| Nearest city | Canyon City, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 44°17′00″N 118°47′04″W[1] |
| Area | 1,465,287 acres (5,929.81 km2)[2] |
| Established | July 1, 1908[3] |
| Visitors | 242,000 (in 2006)[4] |
| Governing body | U.S. Forest Service |
| Website | Malheur National Forest |
Overview
The forest was established by President Theodore Roosevelt on June 13, 1908, and is named after the Malheur River, from the French, meaning "misfortune". It is managed by the United States Forest Service for timber extraction, cattle grazing, gold mining and wilderness use. A 1993 Forest Service study estimated that the extent of old growth in the forest was 312,000 acres (1,260 km2).[5]
In descending order of land area, the forest is located in parts of Grant, Harney, Baker, and Malheur counties.[6] There are three ranger districts in the forest, with offices in John Day, Prairie City, and Hines.
Armillaria - largest organism on earth
The Malheur National Forest contains the largest known organism (by area) in the world: an Armillaria ostoyae (fungus) that spans 2,200 acres (8.9 km2) and is located high on a ridgeline immediately west of Clear Creek (44.4731°N 118.4816°W).[7]
Wilderness
There are two wilderness areas in the Malheur National Forest.
- Strawberry Mountain Wilderness at 68,700 acres (278 km2)
- Monument Rock Wilderness at 19,620 acres (79 km2), located partially within the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest
Climate
The hottest temperature recorded in the Malheur National Forest was 110 °F (43.3 °C) on July 23, 2003, while the coldest temperature recorded was −26 °F (−32.2 °C) on January 22–23, 1962.[8]
| Climate data for Malheur Branch Experimental Station, Oregon, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1942–2022 | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 64 (18) |
66 (19) |
80 (27) |
91 (33) |
100 (38) |
106 (41) |
110 (43) |
108 (42) |
100 (38) |
94 (34) |
77 (25) |
65 (18) |
110 (43) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 49.4 (9.7) |
57.4 (14.1) |
69.3 (20.7) |
80.2 (26.8) |
89.8 (32.1) |
96.3 (35.7) |
102.4 (39.1) |
100.8 (38.2) |
93.6 (34.2) |
81.8 (27.7) |
64.0 (17.8) |
52.4 (11.3) |
103.0 (39.4) |
| Average high °F (°C) | 37.2 (2.9) |
45.1 (7.3) |
56.8 (13.8) |
64.6 (18.1) |
74.1 (23.4) |
82.1 (27.8) |
92.9 (33.8) |
91.5 (33.1) |
81.4 (27.4) |
66.1 (18.9) |
49.0 (9.4) |
38.0 (3.3) |
64.9 (18.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 30.4 (−0.9) |
35.9 (2.2) |
44.6 (7.0) |
51.2 (10.7) |
60.3 (15.7) |
67.6 (19.8) |
76.4 (24.7) |
74.3 (23.5) |
64.5 (18.1) |
51.7 (10.9) |
38.7 (3.7) |
30.6 (−0.8) |
52.2 (11.2) |
| Average low °F (°C) | 23.5 (−4.7) |
26.6 (−3.0) |
32.5 (0.3) |
37.8 (3.2) |
46.6 (8.1) |
53.2 (11.8) |
59.9 (15.5) |
57.1 (13.9) |
47.7 (8.7) |
37.2 (2.9) |
28.5 (−1.9) |
23.2 (−4.9) |
39.5 (4.2) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 7.7 (−13.5) |
14.3 (−9.8) |
21.5 (−5.8) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
33.2 (0.7) |
40.9 (4.9) |
49.1 (9.5) |
46.1 (7.8) |
36.2 (2.3) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
15.3 (−9.3) |
9.6 (−12.4) |
1.6 (−16.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −26 (−32) |
−24 (−31) |
5 (−15) |
18 (−8) |
25 (−4) |
30 (−1) |
36 (2) |
37 (3) |
25 (−4) |
10 (−12) |
−6 (−21) |
−21 (−29) |
−26 (−32) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.44 (37) |
0.97 (25) |
1.04 (26) |
0.91 (23) |
1.29 (33) |
0.78 (20) |
0.24 (6.1) |
0.20 (5.1) |
0.41 (10) |
0.82 (21) |
1.00 (25) |
1.56 (40) |
10.66 (271.2) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 6.1 (15) |
2.3 (5.8) |
0.5 (1.3) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.1 (2.8) |
5.4 (14) |
15.4 (38.9) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.6 | 8.4 | 10.7 | 9.4 | 8.3 | 6.4 | 2.3 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 7.0 | 10.4 | 11.3 | 90.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 3.8 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.0 | 3.9 | 11.2 |
| Source 1: NOAA[9] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service[8] | |||||||||||||
See also
- Vinegar Hill-Indian Rock Scenic Area, a high-elevation scenic area in the northeast portion of the forest
- Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, a federally protected refuge to the south of the forest
References
- "Malheur National Forest". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved April 11, 2009.
- "Land Areas of the National Forest System" (PDF). U.S. Forest Service. January 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
- "The National Forests of the United States" (PDF). ForestHistory.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 28, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2012.
- "Revised Visitation Estimates" (PDF). National Forest Service.
- Bolsinger, Charles L.; Waddell, Karen L. (1993). "Area of old-growth forests in California, Oregon, and Washington" (PDF). Resource Bulletin PNW-RB-197. United States Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station.
- Desolation Butte quadrangle, Oregon : 7.5-minute series. U.S. Forest Service.
- Beale, Bob. April 10, 2003. Humungous fungus: world's largest organism? at Environment & Nature News, ABC Online. Accessed June 25, 2008.
- "NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Boise". National Weather Service. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- "U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Malheur Branch EXP STN, OR". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
External links
