Muddy Fork (Oregon)

Muddy Fork
Country United States
State Oregon
County Clackamas County
Source Sandy Glacier on the west slope of Mount Hood
 - location Mount Hood Wilderness, Clackamas County, Oregon
 - elevation 5,890 ft (1,795 m) [1]
 - coordinates 45°23′18″N 121°43′41″W / 45.38833°N 121.72806°W / 45.38833; -121.72806 [2]
Mouth Sandy River
 - location Mount Hood National Forest, Clackamas County, Oregon
 - elevation 2,638 ft (804 m) [2]
 - coordinates 45°23′40″N 121°49′04″W / 45.39444°N 121.81778°W / 45.39444; -121.81778Coordinates: 45°23′40″N 121°49′04″W / 45.39444°N 121.81778°W / 45.39444; -121.81778 [2]
Length 6 mi (10 km) [3]
Location of the mouth of the Muddy Fork in Oregon

Muddy Fork is a tributary, about 6 miles (10 km) long, of the Sandy River in the U.S. state of Oregon. Arising at the base of Sandy Glacier on the west slope of Mount Hood, it flows west through the Mount Hood Wilderness in the Mount Hood National Forest. It joins the Sandy River in Old Maid Flat, about 5 miles (8 km) northeast of Rhododendron. The stream offers limited fishing for coastal cutthroat trout.

Course

Muddy Fork begins at 5,890 feet (1,800 m) above sea level at the foot of Sandy Glacier in the Mount Hood Wilderness of the Cascade Range. Its entire course lies within the Mount Hood National Forest and Clackamas County. Falling 3,252 feet (991 m) between source and mouth, the stream's average loss of elevation is about 500 feet per mile (95 m/km).[1][2][3]

Flowing generally west from the glacier, it passes south of McNeil Point, which is on the stream's right. It then flows between Yocum Ridge, which is to the left, and Bald Mountain to the right before being crossed by the Pacific Crest Trail near the eastern end of Old Maid Flat. The Sandy River enters Old Maid Flat to the left of Muddy Fork, and the two run roughly parallel across the flat until joining near Last Chance Mountain, which is on the right. The confluence is upstream of Fred McNeil Campground and Lolo Pass Road (Forest Road 18). Muddy Fork has no named tributaries.[3][4]

Fishing

Although Muddy Fork is closed to salmon fishing, the stream has wild cutthroat trout "of fair size".[5] The stream is open to catch and release fishing for cutthroat but only with artificial flies and lures. Conditions are generally best in spring before seasonal runoffs of glacial silt.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Source elevation derived from Google Earth search using GNIS source coordinates.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Muddy Fork". Geographic Names Information System (GNIS). United States Geological Survey (USGS). November 28, 1980. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 Oregon Atlas and Gazetteer (Map) (2008 ed.). DeLorme Mapping. § 30. ISBN 978-0-89933-347-2. Approximate stream length determined by map scale and ruler.
  4. ↑ United States Geological Survey. "United States Geological Survey Topographic Map: Mount Hood North and Bull Run Lake quadrants". TopoQuest. Retrieved December 22, 2009.
  5. 1 2 Sheehan, Madelynne Diness (2005). Fishing in Oregon: The Complete Oregon Fishing Guide, Tenth Edition. Scappoose, Oregon: Flying Pencil Publications. p. 159. ISBN 0-916473-15-5.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 9/11/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.