North Fork John Day River
| North Fork John Day River | |
|---|---|
The river flowing beside Highway 395 in Umatilla County | |
| Etymology | John Day, fur trapper |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Oregon |
| County | Grant County, Umatilla County |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Source | |
| • location | Blue Mountains near Mount Ireland, Grant County, Oregon |
| • coordinates | 44°51′48″N 118°14′13″W / 44.86333°N 118.23694°W |
| • elevation | 7,466 ft (2,276 m) |
| Mouth | John Day River |
• location | Kimberly, Grant County, Oregon |
• coordinates | 44°45′22″N 119°38′19″W / 44.75611°N 119.63861°W |
• elevation | 1,834 ft (559 m) |
| Length | 107 mi (172 km) |
| Basin size | 1,800 sq mi (4,700 km2) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Monument, Oregon, 15.3 miles (24.6 km) from mouth |
| • average | 1,297 cu ft/s (36.7 m3/s) |
| • minimum | 6 cu ft/s (0.17 m3/s) |
| • maximum | 33,400 cu ft/s (950 m3/s) |
| Type | Wild, Scenic, Recreational |
| Designated | October 28, 1988 |
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The North Fork John Day River is a 107-mile (172 km) tributary of the John Day River in the U.S. state of Oregon. It begins in Grant County about 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Baker City near the crest of the Blue Mountains. It flows generally west to the community of Dale on U.S. Route 395, then southwest through the city of Monument to the unincorporated community of Kimberly, where it meets the main stem of the John Day River.
The upper reaches of the river flow through the North Fork John Day Wilderness in the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest and the Umatilla National Forest. From its headwaters to its confluence with Camas Creek, the river is part of the National Wild and Scenic River system under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. The upper 27.8 miles (44.7 km) is classified wild, the next 10.5 miles (16.9 km) scenic, and the next 15.8 miles (25.4 km) recreational, for a total of 54.1 miles (87.1 km).
The North Fork John Day River is one of the most important in northeast Oregon for anadromous fish. Wildlife found near the river includes mule deer, elk, and black bears, peregrine falcons, and bald eagles. Recreational uses include hunting, fishing, horseback riding, hiking, snowmobiling, skiing, camping, and whitewater rafting.