East buttes
Encyclopedia
The East Buttes are made up of several extinct volcanoes in and around Gresham
, Oregon
, United States
, which are part of the Boring Lava Field
. The Boring Lava Field became active at least 2.7 million years ago, and has been extinct for about 300,000 years.
The buttes stretch from southeast Portland
into Damascus
. Included are Gresham Butte (also known as Walter's Hill), Gabbert Hill, and Towle Butte.
The Gresham Butte Saddle Trail runs through open space owned by Metro
and the City of Gresham. The trail was previously a logging road and is bordered on the north by Gresham Butte and on the south by Towle Butte and Gabbert Hill.
Several tributaries of Johnson Creek
are located in this open space. The land in this area is dominated by black cottonwood
, red alder, and Douglas-fir
. There are also many non-native species present, such as Himalayan blackberry
and European holly, a large stand of which is found around the middle of Saddle Trail. Somewhere in the forest is an old bus used to move water pipes for the planned Mount Hood Freeway. The project and the bus were abandoned in the 1970s after a mass public outcry against the proposed freeway.
Much of the land on Gabbert Hill was previously designated for a subdivision called Darby Ridge, but was acquired by Metro and the City of Gresham in 2007.
Gresham, Oregon
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there were 90,205 people, 33,327 households, and 22,695 families residing in the city. The population density was 4,071.6 people per square mile . There were 35,309 housing units at an average density of 1,593.8 per square mile...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, which are part of the Boring Lava Field
Boring Lava Field
The Boring Lava Field is an extinct Plio-Pleistocene volcanic field zone with at least 32 cinder cones and small shield volcanoes lying within a radius of 13 miles of Kelly Butte, which is approximately 4 miles east of downtown Portland, Oregon, in the United States...
. The Boring Lava Field became active at least 2.7 million years ago, and has been extinct for about 300,000 years.
The buttes stretch from southeast Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
into Damascus
Damascus, Oregon
Damascus is a city in Clackamas County, Oregon, United States. Incorporated in 2004, the city is located east of Happy Valley and Interstate 205 and west of Boring. The area that later became the city had a population of 9,022 in 2000...
. Included are Gresham Butte (also known as Walter's Hill), Gabbert Hill, and Towle Butte.
The Gresham Butte Saddle Trail runs through open space owned by Metro
Metro (Oregon regional government)
Metro, formerly known as Metropolitan Service District, is the regional governmental agency for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area...
and the City of Gresham. The trail was previously a logging road and is bordered on the north by Gresham Butte and on the south by Towle Butte and Gabbert Hill.
Several tributaries of Johnson Creek
Johnson Creek (Willamette River)
Johnson Creek is a 25-mile tributary of the Willamette River in the Portland metropolitan area of the U.S. state of Oregon. Part of the drainage basin of the Columbia River, its watershed consists of of mostly urban land occupied by about 175,000 people as of 2006...
are located in this open space. The land in this area is dominated by black cottonwood
Populus trichocarpa
Populus trichocarpa is a deciduous broadleaf tree species native to western North America. It is used for timber, and is notable as a model organism in plant biology. Its full genome sequence was published in 2006...
, red alder, and Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir
Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...
. There are also many non-native species present, such as Himalayan blackberry
Rubus armeniacus
Rubus armeniacus, Armenian Blackberry or Himalayan Blackberry, is a species of Rubus in the blackberry group Rubus subgenus Rubus series Discolores Focke. It is native to Armenia in southwest Asia, and widely naturalised elsewhere...
and European holly, a large stand of which is found around the middle of Saddle Trail. Somewhere in the forest is an old bus used to move water pipes for the planned Mount Hood Freeway. The project and the bus were abandoned in the 1970s after a mass public outcry against the proposed freeway.
Much of the land on Gabbert Hill was previously designated for a subdivision called Darby Ridge, but was acquired by Metro and the City of Gresham in 2007.