Pudding River
Encyclopedia
The Pudding River is a 62 miles (99.8 km) tributary of the Molalla River
in the U.S. state
of Oregon
. Its drainage basin covers 528 square miles (1,368 km²). Among its tributaries is the Little Pudding River. Wild trout enter the upper main stem from tributary creeks that support them.
, Oregon had started to look how it is today and the Willamette Bay finally became the Willamette Valley by drying up and being raised above sea level, after assuming a shape much like today's Puget Sound
.
and Table Rock Wilderness
to Silver Falls State Park
and the rolling Waldo Hills east of Salem
. After emerging from the unique forested upper-elevation Panther Rock wetlands, Butte Lake, and other transient snowpack-dependent Cascade Range foothills, the cool-running streams of the watershed converge near Woodburn
into the meandering Pudding River, passing through a region of fertile agricultural lands in the lower Willamette Valley
. Two forks of the Pudding join between the cities of Silverton
and Mt. Angel, at 45.036368°N 122.833275°W, as the river continues its course northward where it receives Abiqua Creek
from the right at about 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of Silverton. North of Mt. Angel, Butte Creek
, which comes down from the Cascade Range
foothills past Scotts Mills
, empties into the Pudding River at 45.160768°N 122.773569°W. The river continues northward past the town of Aurora
. For most of its course, Butte Creek defines part of the boundary between Marion
and Clackamas
Counties.
The Pudding River flows into the Molalla River, at 45.282375°N 122.716856°W, just before the Molalla joins the Willamette River
in a floodplain that is part of the Molalla River State Park
. The Pudding River is part of the Molalla River Watershed.
and panfish
. Although the Pudding River is not stock
ed with hatchery fish, cutthroat trout
and rainbow trout
enter the upper main stem from Drift, Butte
, Silver, and Abiqua
creeks. Fishing is restricted to artificial flies and lures and is not allowed for winter-run steelhead that spawn
in the tributaries. The extreme lower reaches of the river are navigable by boat when the stream flow is sufficient, sometimes as late as June.
Molalla River
The Molalla River is a tributary of the Willamette River in the U.S. state of Oregon.-Geography:Its headwaters are in Clackamas County, in the Table Rock Wilderness, near Table Rock, in the Cascade Range...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of 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...
. Its drainage basin covers 528 square miles (1,368 km²). Among its tributaries is the Little Pudding River. Wild trout enter the upper main stem from tributary creeks that support them.
Geology
About 24 million years ago at the end of the OligoceneOligocene
The Oligocene is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 34 million to 23 million years before the present . As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the period are well identified but the exact dates of the start and end of the period are slightly...
, Oregon had started to look how it is today and the Willamette Bay finally became the Willamette Valley by drying up and being raised above sea level, after assuming a shape much like today's Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
.
Course
Its complex of headwater creeks originates from the western edge of the Cascade Mountains along a significant ridgeline corridor that forms a critical linkage from the Mount Hood National ForestMount Hood National Forest
The Mount Hood National Forest is located east of the city of Portland, Oregon, and the northern Willamette River valley. The Forest extends south from the Columbia River Gorge across more than of forested mountains, lakes and streams to the Olallie Scenic Area, a high lake basin under the slopes...
and Table Rock Wilderness
Table Rock Wilderness
The Table Rock Wilderness is a small pocket wilderness designated in 1984in the western Cascade Mountains in northwestern Oregon, United States. The wilderness area protects of forest in the historic Molalla River–Pudding River drainage basin, some southeast of Molalla, Oregon and southeast of...
to Silver Falls State Park
Silver Falls State Park
Silver Falls State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Oregon, located near Silverton, about east-southeast of Salem. It is the largest state park in Oregon with an area of more than , and it includes more than of walking trails, of horse trails, and a bike path...
and the rolling Waldo Hills east of Salem
Salem, Oregon
Salem is the capital of the U.S. state of Oregon, and the county seat of Marion County. It is located in the center of the Willamette Valley alongside the Willamette River, which runs north through the city. The river forms the boundary between Marion and Polk counties, and the city neighborhood...
. After emerging from the unique forested upper-elevation Panther Rock wetlands, Butte Lake, and other transient snowpack-dependent Cascade Range foothills, the cool-running streams of the watershed converge near Woodburn
Woodburn, Oregon
Woodburn is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. Incorporated in 1889, the community had been platted in 1871 after the arrival of the railroad. The city is located in the northern end of the Willamette Valley along Interstate 5 between Portland and Salem...
into the meandering Pudding River, passing through a region of fertile agricultural lands in the lower Willamette Valley
Willamette Valley
The Willamette Valley is the most populated region in the state of Oregon of the United States. Located in the state's northwest, the region is surrounded by tall mountain ranges to the east, west and south and the valley's floor is broad, flat and fertile because of Ice Age conditions...
. Two forks of the Pudding join between the cities of Silverton
Silverton, Oregon
Silverton is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 7,414 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and Mt. Angel, at 45.036368°N 122.833275°W, as the river continues its course northward where it receives Abiqua Creek
Abiqua Creek
Abiqua Creek is a tributary of the Pudding River in the U.S. state of Oregon. The creek originates near Lookout Mountain in the foothills of the Cascade Range in the northwestern part of the state. It flows northwest for about to its confluence with the Pudding, about west of Silverton, in the...
from the right at about 2 miles (3.2 km) northwest of Silverton. North of Mt. Angel, Butte Creek
Butte Creek (Oregon)
Butte Creek is a stream in the U.S. state of Oregon, a tributary of the Pudding River. It is approximately long and, for all of its course, defines part of the northeastern boundary of Marion County and the southern boundary of Clackamas County.- Course :...
, which comes down from the Cascade Range
Cascade Range
The Cascade Range is a major mountain range of western North America, extending from southern British Columbia through Washington and Oregon to Northern California. It includes both non-volcanic mountains, such as the North Cascades, and the notable volcanoes known as the High Cascades...
foothills past Scotts Mills
Scotts Mills, Oregon
Scotts Mills is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. The population was 312 at the 2000 census. It is two miles south of Marquam and Oregon Route 213, between Silverton and Molalla.Scotts Mills is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, empties into the Pudding River at 45.160768°N 122.773569°W. The river continues northward past the town of Aurora
Aurora, Oregon
Aurora is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States. It was founded as a religious commune in 1856 by Dr. William Keil who named the settlement after his daughter. The population was 918 at the 2010 census...
. For most of its course, Butte Creek defines part of the boundary between Marion
Marion County, Oregon
Marion County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. It was originally named the Champooick District, after Champoeg, a meeting place on the Willamette River. On September 3, 1849, the territorial legislature renamed it in honor of Francis Marion, a Continental Army general of the...
and Clackamas
Clackamas County, Oregon
Clackamas County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The county was named after the Native Americans living in the area, the Clackamas Indians, who were part of the Chinookan people. As of 2010, the population was 375,992...
Counties.
The Pudding River flows into the Molalla River, at 45.282375°N 122.716856°W, just before the Molalla joins the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
in a floodplain that is part of the Molalla River State Park
Molalla River State Park
The Molalla River State Park is located in U.S. state of Oregon. It is a few miles north of Canby, and half a mile from the Canby Ferry. The park is south of the Willamette River and east of the Molalla River, at the confluence of the Pudding, Molalla and Willamette rivers. The Pudding River flows...
. The Pudding River is part of the Molalla River Watershed.
Fishing
The upper river offers catch-and-release fishing for wild trout, while the lower river has bassBass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
and panfish
Panfish
A panfish, also spelled pan-fish or pan fish, is an edible game fish that usually doesn't outgrow the size of a frying pan. The term is also commonly used by anglers to refer to any small catch that will fit in a pan, but is large enough to be legal. However its definition and usage varies with...
. Although the Pudding River is not stock
Fish stocking
Fish stocking is the practice of raising fish in a hatchery and releasing them into a river, lake, or the ocean to supplement existing populations, or to create a population where none exists...
ed with hatchery fish, cutthroat trout
Cutthroat trout
The cutthroat trout is a species of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes. It is one of the many fish species colloquially known as trout...
and rainbow trout
Rainbow trout
The rainbow trout is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead is a sea run rainbow trout usually returning to freshwater to spawn after 2 to 3 years at sea. In other words, rainbow trout and steelhead trout are the same species....
enter the upper main stem from Drift, Butte
Butte Creek (Oregon)
Butte Creek is a stream in the U.S. state of Oregon, a tributary of the Pudding River. It is approximately long and, for all of its course, defines part of the northeastern boundary of Marion County and the southern boundary of Clackamas County.- Course :...
, Silver, and Abiqua
Abiqua Creek
Abiqua Creek is a tributary of the Pudding River in the U.S. state of Oregon. The creek originates near Lookout Mountain in the foothills of the Cascade Range in the northwestern part of the state. It flows northwest for about to its confluence with the Pudding, about west of Silverton, in the...
creeks. Fishing is restricted to artificial flies and lures and is not allowed for winter-run steelhead that spawn
Spawn (biology)
Spawn refers to the eggs and sperm released or deposited, usually into water, by aquatic animals. As a verb, spawn refers to the process of releasing the eggs and sperm, also called spawning...
in the tributaries. The extreme lower reaches of the river are navigable by boat when the stream flow is sufficient, sometimes as late as June.
External links
- Pudding River Watershed Council
- NOAA hydrology site for the Pudding River at Aurora
- Oregon Department of TransportationOregon Department of TransportationThe Oregon Department of Transportation is a department of the state government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for systems of transportation. It was first established in 1969. It had been preceded by the Oregon State Highway Department which, along with the Oregon State Highway...
Photographs:
