little river mile long tributary located state oregon watershed draining approximately square miles km2 rising river flows generally northwest meet miles northwest miles south watershed originally settled years ago native american tribes non indigenous settlers arrived early 19th century founded 1850s grew rapidly gold precious metals discovered slowly declined population supply gold exhausted buildings remain abandoned later destroyed despite low water quality little watershed supports populations salmon known suspected species percent watershed forested health slowly declining fire suppression course arises springs near flows north receiving right left water diverted near confluence approximately mile long built provide water hydraulic mining destroyed town mile past river turns west receives major tributary left drains nearly square miles km2 making largest tributaries watershed area little flows northwest receiving water right town located mouth stream miles northwest miles south miles confluence fish swimming upstream major tributary dam average discharge cubic feet second range cubic feet second depending season precipitation watershed drains approximately square miles km2 southern oregon makes percent watershed percent basin controls percent watershed percent owned seven percent privately owned state oregon controls percent approximately percent land forested farmland rural areas remaining percent little watershed experiences mediterranean climate average annual precipitation watershed inches inches little inches recorded precipitation area consists rain occasionally snow higher elevations primary rock types watershed early sediments deposits like elevations range feet river mouth feet streams feet lower areas heavily eroded glaciers drop quickly reach feet fairly flat high deposits flora fauna watershed covered predominantly temperate coniferous forest makes approximately percent total area primary species areas pine cedar grow drier regions rare plants including lady indian grow watershed seven species identified species prior 1940s burned watershed frequently began fire suppression efforts 1920s station built years later species depend fire reproduce pine declined population white fir spread normally plants oak regions vegetation watershed continues grow making susceptible insect disease thirty species known live watershed suspected square miles km2 watershed designated critical habitat units northern spotted owl critically endangered species species known live watershed included iucn red list endangered vulnerable western pond turtle sheep gray wolves bears inhabited region considered common fish inhabiting river include salmon threatened salmon rainbow trout fish populations declining low water quality barriers dams history humans lived little watershed approximately years based points discovered area inhabitants likely tribes native americans descendants humans traveled land bridge siberia salmon trout hunted deer set fires clear brush oak promote growth certain crops fires limited native americans creating burned land increasing biodiversity watershed european americans visit area group fur led community founded chinese miners gold silver discovered nearby jacksonville spring discovered gold area hundreds miners soon arrived town founded october population risen mining lasted 1850s 1860s lower little excavated ditches constructed 1870s providing water large hydraulic mining operations surrounding regions quickly largest hydraulic oregon possibly entire western united_states mining washed hundreds thousands tons earth sediment tributaries devastated landscape post office opened closed years later town population declined post office opened mining operations ended closed hydraulic mines reopened great depression buildings remain abandoned destroyed late 1990s lower watershed agreed transfer water rights nearby supplemented allowing removal large fish barriers jones irrigation dam near removed second farmers ditch irrigation dam removed altogether removal dams returned cubic feet second water opened miles streams migrating fish pollution water quality watershed generally poor high temperatures oxygen levels occur region problems created human activity forests zones cleared way agriculture high road cause slope failures hydraulic mining near devastated surrounding landscape leaving slopes bare sending rocks gravel downstream cattle sheep introduced area late 19th century areas watershed reducing native grasses allowing spread contributes soil erosion large amounts water diverted river tributaries extent mouth left nearly dry major contributor irrigation ditch near built provide water residents nearby ditch failed numerous times sending tons dirt mud downstream approved purchasing monitoring system ditch september applied grant replace ditch pipes
Little Applegate River