Willamette Valley
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The Willamette Valley (pronounced [wɪˈlæ.mɪt]), with the accent on the second syllable) is the region in northwest Oregon in the United States that surrounds the Willamette River as it proceeds northward from its emergence from mountains near Eugene to its confluence with the Columbia River at Portland. One of the most productive agricultural areas of the world[citation needed], the valley was the destination of choice for the emigrants on the Oregon Trail in the 1840s. It has formed the cultural and political heart of Oregon since the days of the Oregon Territory, and is home to 70% of Oregon's population [1].
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[edit] Description
The valley may be loosely defined as the broad plain of the Willamette, bounded on the west by the Coast Ranges and on the east by the Cascade Range. It is bounded on the south by the Calapooya Mountains, which separate the headwaters of the Willamette from the Umpqua River valley about 25 miles south of Eugene. Interstate 5 runs the length of the valley, linking its major communities.
Because of the differing cultural and political interests, the Portland metropolitan area, as well as the Tualatin River valley, are often not included in the local use of the term. Additionally, the east slopes of the Coast Ranges and the west slopes of the Cascade Range from Oakridge to Detroit Lake can be considered part of the Willamette Valley in a cultural sense, despite being mountainous areas.
Cities always considered part of the Willamette Valley are Eugene, Corvallis/Albany, and Salem. In its most expansive definition, the valley includes areas of Benton, Polk, Yamhill, Washington, Clackamas, Lane, Linn, Marion, and Multnomah counties.
The agricultural richness of the valley is in part a result of the Missoula Floods, which inundated the valley approximately forty times between 15,000 and 13,000 years ago at the end of the last ice age. The floods were caused by the periodic rupturing of the ice dam of Glacial Lake Missoula, the waters of which swept down the Columbia River and flooded the Willamette Valley as far south as Eugene. The floodwaters carried rich volcanic and glacial soil from Eastern Washington, which was deposited across the valley floor when the waters subsided. The soil in the Willamette Valley is half a mile deep in some areas[citation needed].
During the 19th century, the valley was largely inhabited by bands of the Kalapuya tribe of Native Americans. The Hudson's Bay Company controlled the fur trade in the valley in the 1820s and 1830s. The Willamette Valley was connected to California's Central Valley by the Siskiyou Trail. The first European settlements in the valley were at Oregon City and Champoeg. The first institution of higher learning on the West Coast, today's Willamette University, was founded in the valley at Salem by Jason Lee, one of the many Oregon missionaries that settled in the valley.
The major agricultural products of the valley include many varieties of berries and vegetables. The valley also produces most[citation needed] of the grass seed, Christmas trees, and hazelnuts sold in North America. But it is greenhouse and nursery stock that have become the biggest agricultural commodity in the valley.
In recent decades, the valley has also become a major wine producer, with multiple American Viticultural Areas of its own. With a cooler climate than California, the gently rolling hills surrounding the Willamette are home to some of the best (and most-expensive) pinot noir in the world, as well as a high-quality pinot gris. It is home to Eyrie Vineyards, winner of the pinot noir competition at the Wine Olympics held in Paris in 1979.
The Willamette Valley is prone to periodic floods. Notable floods include events in 1899, 1964, and the Willamette Valley Flood of 1996. Part of its floodplain is a National Natural Landmark called the Willamette Floodplain.
[edit] Popular culture
David Brin's book The Postman (which was adapted into a film of the same name) is largely set in the Willamette Valley, mostly around the town of Corvallis.
The Willamette Valley appears, quite fittingly, at the end of The Oregon Trail computer game as the blanket destination.
S. M. Stirling’s Emberverse novel series; 1) Dies the Fire, 2) The Protector’s War, and 3) A Meeting at Corvallis, take place mainly in the Willamette Valley when technology suddenly fails. Portland and Corvallis both figure heavily in the series.
[edit] References
- ^ Loy, William G. "Atlas of Oregon" (2001) University of Oregon Press, Eugene, OR. pp. 35 ISBN 0-87114-102-7.
[edit] External links
- The Willamette Basin Explorer from Oregon State University
- OPB: Missoula Floods in the Willamette Valley
- Willamette Valley Daily Photo
- Museum of the Siskiyou Trail
