At the time, the river entered the Pacific south of its present course, but as the mountains and surrounding areas rose, the river found a new course to the sea and slowly eroded the Gorge. Geologically, the Gorge dates to the Miocene era (12-17 million years ago) and the Pleistocene era (700,000-2 million years ago), when the Cascades formed in a series of volcanic eruptions. Nine species of plants are found only in the Gorge. ![]() Botanists have cataloged 31 plant species at elevations below 1,600 feet in the cool and shady south wall and canyons of the Gorge that usually occur only above 4,000 feet. The unique climate and geography of the Gorge have produced a unique and diverse plant community. One hundred inches of rain in a year is not unusual. The central and western Gorge, from the mouth of the Wind River, Washington, to a few miles beyond Cascade Locks, Oregon, is in the center of the mountains, where they catch frequent weather systems that move in from the Pacific Ocean. ![]() The eastern Gorge is in the rain shadow of the Cascades, where annual rainfall is just 14 inches at The Dalles, Oregon. In his resulting 20-page report, “Regional Planning in the Pacific Northwest: A Memorandum,” published by the Northwest Regional Council in January 1939, he praised the “breath-taking landscapes” of the Northwest, including “the subtle and manifold beauties of the Columbia River Gorge, which unrolls itself like some great kakemono of classic Chinese landscape art.” He concluded, “there is not the slightest excuse for the industrial spoilation of the great scenic assets of the Columbia Gorge.” He advised against industrial development in the Gorge near Bonneville Dam, consistent with his belief that development should be accomplished “without infringing upon the original beauties of nature.” Lewis Mumford, one of the nation’s premier social thinkers, visited the Gorge in late 1938 as part of a regional tour arranged by the Washington State Planning Council. He fashioned the Gorge of the Columbia, fixed the course of the broad river, and caused the crystal streams both small and great, to leap down from the crags and sing their never ending songs of joy.” Samuel Lancaster, who designed the first highway through the Gorge - it opened in 1922 and parts remain in use to this day - said of the Gorge, “God shaped these great mountains round about us, and lifted up these mighty domes. It is a place of waterfalls, deep forests, near-desert bluffs and unusual geography and climate. The steep canyon walls rise in places to more than 4,000 feet above the river. The Gorge is a place of spectacular natural beauty. Here the river forms the border between Washington on the north side and Oregon on the south. The Columbia River Gorge is the roughly 90-mile-long canyon through the Cascade Mountains, the only place in the entire range, which stretches from British Columbia to California, where the mountains are split at near sea level.
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