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| pine trees and tundra, yay! |
Labeled "ecotopia", cities around the Pacific North West are considered the "most livable" and attractive cities in North America (Portland and Seattle). Landscapes are beautiful and bountiful. The pristine status of states like Oregon and Washington bring concern to residents: the fear that overpopulation will ensue, disturbing their peaceful living settings. There is an advantage to this concern: its location is quite remote, as it is at the northwestern corner of the region. There are accessibility barriers, no public transport that can commute the rest of the west coast to the area. Arid and mountainous terrain works as a topographic barrier as well.
My blog layout is highly influenced by the precipitation levels in Oregon state. Precipitation is abundant, which provide trees, moss, ferns, rich soil for agriculture. Its likely that there is more weight of living matter in this part of the earth than any other place. I'm so proud to have chosen this area for my assignment :) Precipitation patterns vary in different parts of the region according to topography: wind patterns, ocean, and mountains all play role in temperature and precipitation. Oregon state, in particular, experiences high winds.
Oregon (along with Washington) contain coast ranges, much like that of California state.
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| Grand Coulee Dam - Columbia River |
The Dalles, the city in which I am centering this blog around, is called The End of the Oregon Trail. The textbook acknowledges The Dalles as being the city in between both Oregon and Washington. It was labeled "the end' of the Oregon Trail by explorers Lewis And Clark. According to the text, Lewis And Clark explored this area and ran into dangerous falls. Precipitation and rugged terrain make up for a great resource for hydroelectric power. In 1933 the Grand Coulee Dam was constructed on the Columbia River. It remains the regions largest dam. I remember visiting this dam the first few weeks I was in The Dalles as a child.
Fishing is one of the strongest resources of the PNW. Salmon was once a major food and economic source for the Native tribes, and it kind of still is post-European settlement (present day).They're anadromous, which means they travel upstream to spawn seasonally in the freshwaters of the rivers. They were once very abundant in the rivers as fishers had great chances of catching many a salmon. But salmon was more often caught off the ocean, making the salmon population smaller during their spawning return.
I'll start off with The Dalles to emphasize their agriculture. The Dalles grows cherries and peaches in the region. While it grows a vast amount, there are export barriers that does not allow it to be shipped to other parts of the United State easily. Instead, crop goods stay within the region, providing to the local. North of The Dalles grows apples and pears, primarily in Washington state. The proximity of these fruits makes me think that the region makes for a perfect fruit salad.
Hops, grass, and spearmint are other crops that thrive around Oregon state. As a matter of fact, I have a memory of driving up there with my family, stopping at a mint field, and a relative picks out a leaf from field and said it was okay to chew. It was spearmint. It was the first time I'd ever try a mint leaf :)
While the above mentioned crops is abundantly grown in the region, it is actually dairy that's the cash cow of the region.
Next dairy comes forest products. Timber comes from all the states that make up the PNW, Canada included. Douglas fir, spruce, hemlock, balsam, and red cedar are types of wood abundant and demanded. The red cedar is abundant in Oregon state. Its big, red, and beautiful! The demand for lumber runs high, especially in Japan, its largest importer. While I never saw a beaver, I thought I'd throw in the mascot of every dam in the United States. I salute you, Beaver state!!!
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| hi cutie |
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