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U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Scientific Investigations Report 2008–5204

Analysis of Geomorphic and Hydrologic Characteristics of Mount Jefferson Debris Flow, Oregon, November 6, 2006

Prepared in cooperation with the City of Salem, Oregon

By Steven Sobieszczyk, Mark A. Uhrich, David R. Piatt, and Heather M. Bragg

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Figures

Figure 1. Peak-event turbidity values at North Santiam water-quality monitoring station, Oregon, water years 1999–2007.

Figure 2. Location of Mount Jefferson and surrounding area, Oregon.

Figure 3. Location of the Milk Creek and Pamelia Creek drainage basins, and Mount Jefferson debris-flow deposit, Oregon.

Figure 4. Streamflow and measured and estimated turbidity from samples collected at the North Santiam water-quality monitoring station, Oregon, November 6, 2006. Sample sets A and B correspond to water-quality samples collected by automatic pumping sampler (see figure 5).

Figure 5. Automatic pumping samples collected at North Santiam water-quality monitoring station during the Mount Jefferson debris flow, Oregon, November 6, 2006. (Photograph by Heather Bragg, U.S. Geological Survey, 2007.) Gap between sample sets A and B occurred during bottle replacement.

Figure 6. Streamflow from Pamelia Creek entering the North Santiam River, Oregon, November 6, 2006. (Photograph by David Klug, U.S. Forest Service, November 6, 2006.)

Figure 7. View of debris covered snowfield in the Milk Creek channel, some of which collapsed and melted, supplying material for the Mount Jefferson debris flow, Oregon, November 6, 2006. (Photograph by William Myers, Oregon State University, 2007.)

Figure 8. Channel incision along Milk Creek, where debris flow gained volume during the Mount Jefferson debris flow, Oregon, November 6, 2006. Note people for scale. (Photograph by Mark Uhrich, U.S. Geological Survey, 2007.)

Figure 9. Mud run-up markings on trees created by flooding associated with the Mount Jefferson debris flow, Oregon, November 6, 2006. (Photograph by Mark Uhrich, U.S. Geological Survey, 2007.)

Figure 10. Change in height of mud run-up markings created by debris flow and flooding impacting tree (left to right) during the Mount Jefferson debris flow, Oregon, November 6, 2006. (Photograph by Mark Uhrich, U.S. Geological Survey, 2007.)

Figure 11. Tree damage caused by the Mount Jefferson debris flow, Oregon, November 6, 2006. (Photograph by Mark Uhrich, U.S. Geological Survey, 2007.) Diagram shows example of indicators of damage to vegetation during a debris flow (Pierson, 2005).

Figure 12. Downstream view of boulder-sized debris blocking the divergence between Milk Creek (right) and 2 percent Milk Creek (left), Oregon. Note person for scale. (Photograph by Chris Ricker, Portland State University, 2007.)

Figure 13. Comparison of aerial photographs from 2005 (top) and 2007 (bottom) of Mount Jefferson debris flow, Oregon, November 6, 2006. 2005 aerial photograph from Oregon State University (2008); 2007 aerial photograph by Robert Ross, Linn Benton Community College (2007). Note that the new deposit (light gray) extends from center-right toward bottom left along newly formed 2 percent Milk Creek.

Figure 14. Depositional extent of the Mount Jefferson debris flow, Oregon, November 6, 2006.

Tables

Table 1. Air temperature and precipitation data collected from meteorological stations at Marion Forks and Santiam Junction near Mount Jefferson, Oregon, November 1–8, 2006.

Table 2. Measurements of mud run-up heights on trees and calculations of indirect debris-flow velocity for Mount Jefferson debris flow, Oregon, November 6, 2006.

Table 3. Estimated depositional volumes using cross-sectional transect measurements along depositional extent of the Mount Jefferson debris flow, Oregon, November 6, 2006.

This report is available online in Portable Document Format (PDF). If you do not have the Adobe Reader, it is available for free download from Adobe Systems Incorporated.

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Send questions or comments about this report to the author, S. Sobieszczyk, (503) 251-3208.

For more information about USGS activities in Oregon, visit the USGS Oregon Water Science Center home page.