Warming temperatures at the equator could paradoxically bring the Northwest a wet fall and high winter snowpack, according to climatologists. The West is in for “one of the strongest El Niños we’ve had,” Larry O’Neill, Oregon’s state climatologist, said Monday. The ocean and atmospheric weather pattern that occurs every few years and touches all parts […]
“We’re ready for things to be drier than normal,” said Lucas King, fire and fuels program at Mt. Adams Resource Stewards (MARS). The organization works to put good fire, more commonly known as prescribed burns, on the forest floor of fire-adapted landscapes in the Gorge.
The Oregon white oak is an unusual species — with deep cavities, long winding trunks, and a life span of hundreds of years, it has carved out a unique spot in the Columbia River Gorge’s ecosystem.
This winter saw high temperatures and poor precipitation. Mass evaporation further dried out fuels. Only a very strong El Niño could help avoid repeat next year.
THE GORGE — The buttercups found on The Dalles Mountain are unique, endangered, and are being monitored and protected by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The fast-moving water of the Missoula Floods during the Ice Age shaped the beautiful landscape of the Gorge by scraping away rocks and sediment through the valley, and it also shaped the unique growth of The Dalles Mountain Buttercup.
Lesser Goldfinches are tiny, thumb-sized creatures, rich green on their backs, gilded dandelion on their breasts, with trim little black caps and splotchy white-and-black wings.
