Oak Grove Fork Clackamas River facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oak Grove Fork Clackamas River |
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 Location of the mouth of the Oak Grove Fork Clackamas River in Oregon
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| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Clackamas |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Main source | near Abbot Pass Cascade Range, Clackamas County, Oregon 3,719 ft (1,134 m) 45°07′11″N 121°41′07″W / 45.11972°N 121.68528°W |
| River mouth | Clackamas River near Ripplebrook, Clackamas County, Oregon 1,362 ft (415 m) 45°04′28″N 122°03′08″W / 45.07444°N 122.05222°W |
| Length | 21 mi (34 km) |
| Basin features | |
| Basin size | 124 sq mi (320 km2) |
The Oak Grove Fork Clackamas River is a river in Oregon, USA. It flows for about 21 miles (34 km). This river is a branch, or tributary, of the larger Clackamas River.
The river starts high up in the Cascade Range mountains. It begins near a place called Abbot Pass, inside the Warm Springs Indian Reservation. From there, it flows west through the beautiful Mount Hood National Forest. Finally, it reaches a small community called Ripplebrook. Here, it joins the main Clackamas River.
The Oak Grove Fork is important because it helps create two large artificial lakes: Timothy Lake and Lake Harriet. These lakes were built to help control the river's flow. They also provide water for hydroelectric plants, which make electricity using the power of moving water.
Contents
Where Does the River Flow?
The Oak Grove Fork Clackamas River starts at a high point, about 3,719 feet (1,134 meters) above sea level. It then flows downhill, dropping about 2,357 feet (718 meters) by the time it reaches the Clackamas River. Its mouth is about 1,362 feet (415 meters) above sea level.
The river's journey begins in the Cascade Range. This is near Abbot Pass, a mountain gap or low point between mountains. This spot is on the border of Clackamas County and Wasco County.
After starting in the Warm Springs Indian Reservation, the river flows west for about 21 miles (34 km). It travels through the Mount Hood National Forest. It ends its journey at Ripplebrook, where it meets the main Clackamas River.
From Meadows to Lakes
For about 2 miles (3 km), the river flows through a wide, flat area called Big Meadows. After this, it leaves the reservation. Soon, it crosses the famous Pacific Crest Trail. This long hiking trail follows the river for a while, all the way to Timothy Lake.
The Oak Grove Fork then flows between Clackamas Lake Campground and Clackamas Lake itself. Clackamas Lake is to the left of the river. The river then enters Timothy Lake, about 17 miles (27 km) from its end point.
A road called Forest Road 57 follows the river from Timothy Lake to Ripplebrook. There are several campgrounds around Timothy Lake, like Oak Fork, Gone Creek, Hood View, and Pine Point. Meditation Point Campground is on the other side of the lake.
While in Timothy Lake, the river gets water from other smaller streams. These include Crater Creek, Cooper Creek, and Dinger Creek. The river leaves Timothy Lake by flowing over a spillway, which is like a controlled overflow channel. This happens about 15.8 miles (25.4 km) from its mouth.
Journey to the Clackamas River
Just a short distance below the Timothy Lake spillway, the river passes a special station. This station, run by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), measures the river's flow.
As it continues, the river receives water from many more creeks. These include Anvil Creek, Stone Creek, Buck Creek, Peavine Creek, Shellrock Creek, and Cat Creek. Then, it reaches another USGS station, this one above Lake Harriet.
Lake Harriet Campground is located along the river's right bank. The river flows through Lake Harriet, where it is joined by Kelley Creek. After leaving Lake Harriet, the river receives Sam Creek.
Further downstream, Skunk Creek, Canyon Creek, Butte Creek, Station Creek, and Pint Creek all add their waters to the Oak Grove Fork. The river then passes Ripplebrook, which has a campground, a ranger station, and a heliport. The end of Oregon Route 224 is also nearby.
Finally, the river flows past Rainbow Campground. Soon after, it flows into the Clackamas River. This meeting point is about 53 miles (85 km) upstream from where the Clackamas River joins the Willamette River in Gladstone.
How Much Water Flows?
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) keeps an eye on how much water flows in the Oak Grove Fork. They have two main places where they measure the flow.
One station is below Timothy Lake. Here, the river's average flow is about 133 cubic feet per second (3.8 cubic meters per second). The most water ever recorded here was 2,110 cubic feet per second (60 cubic meters per second) on December 24, 1964. The least was 3.7 cubic feet per second (0.10 cubic meters per second) on September 23, 1968.
Another station is above a power plant run by Portland General Electric (PGE). At this spot, the average flow is about 486 cubic feet per second (13.8 cubic meters per second). The highest flow recorded here was 5,000 cubic feet per second (140 cubic meters per second) on January 7, 1923. The lowest was 128 cubic feet per second (3.6 cubic meters per second) on August 16, 2004.
Fishing in the River
The Oak Grove Fork is a great place for fishing! Different types of trout can be found in different parts of the river.
- Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are often found close to the Timothy Lake dam.
- Wild coastal cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki clarkii) and Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus) live further downstream.
- Brown trout (Salmo trutta) can be caught closer to Harriet Lake.
All these fish like to bite on flies or artificial baits. When fishing in the Oak Grove Fork, you can only use artificial lures and flies. Also, the hooks must be barbless. This means they don't have a small point that sticks out, making it easier and safer to release fish.
Dams and Electricity
The Oak Grove Fork has important dams that help make electricity. In 1923, Portland General Electric (PGE) built a dam on the river. This dam created Lake Harriet. The power plant at Lake Harriet started making electricity in 1924. This process is called hydroelectricity, which means making power from moving water.
Later, in 1956, PGE built another dam upstream at Timothy Meadows. This new dam created Timothy Lake. Timothy Lake is a large lake, covering about 1,440 acres (580 hectares). It helps control the water flow for both the Oak Grove Fork and the main Clackamas River. Besides making electricity, Timothy Lake is also a popular spot for outdoor activities and recreation.
