Christine ~ Travels Oregon ~ Deschutes County

Central Oregon,

Deschutes River

Central Oregon, a wonderful place to visit. If you are an outdoors enthusiast there are hiking trails, rivers, lakes and mountains to explore. Summer can be hot with threats of thunderstorms any time. Winters can be cold with lots of snow. If you love to take photos, it can be a photographer’s paradise.

The Central Oregon region covers approximately 7,833 square miles (20,290 km2), and sits at the convergence of the Basin and Range, Cascades, Blue Mountains, and Columbia River Plateau geologic regions. Because it is part of a historically volcanic region, volcanic rock formations are a common sight, including lava beds, volcanic buttes, crater lakes, volcanic plugs, and lava tubes.[2] Consequently, Deschutes is the most cave-rich county in Oregon with over 500 lava tubes.
The primary river flowing through Central Oregon is the Deschutes River. Its source is Little Lava Lake in the Cascade Mountains, northwest of LaPine. The Deschutes runs south to north, eventually flowing into the Columbia River. Along its way, dams control its flow creating Crane Prairie Reservoir and Wickiup Reservoir. The river runs alongside the resort community of Sunriver and through the city of Bend. It is tapped as a water source for the Central Oregon Irrigation District which serves agricultural and municipal users. As the river continues north, it flows past the Eagle Crest Resort and the city of Redmond. North of Redmond, the Deschutes River has cut a 300 feet (91 m) deep canyon. West of Madras, Round Butte Dam impounds the Deschutes River, creating Lake Billy Chinook.

Taken from Wikipedia