The River

From the headwaters to its confluence with the Snake River, the Powder River is a riparian corridor rich with resources that portray the cultural and natural history of eastern Oregon. For millennia, Indian tribes of the Plateau lived along the Powder River, traveling in concert with the changing seasons. Explorers, missionaries, pioneers and gold rushers arrived over the Oregon Trail to settle a land of gold and grass. At the turn of the century. Baker City emerged as the hub of this region, and grew up as a multi-cultural community supported by a mining, rangeland and forest-based economy. The Powder River has both influenced and been affected by landscape changes associated with these events. 

Meandering through the heart of the town, the River is the town's major natural feature connecting parks, residential and business areas, and touches upon areas rich in cultural and natural resources, including historic homes and downtown buildings in the Baker City National Register Historic District. Today's citizens, both youthful and mature, still take pleasure in creating and relating stories from their Powder River memories. These stories reflect many things: the natural patterns of the River, the changing landscapes, and the plants and wildlife within the corridor; the many cultures and generations of people along the River; the memories of fun on the River; the River as a gateway and common element of the broader county area; and the events along the River as a driving force of community heritage.

The River was unpredictable for centuries and flooding in the springtime was a common occurrence.  Taming the river with the Mason Dam in recent times created Phillips Lake as a reservoir and gave us control over the river's flow so that it can be managed as a beautiful resource while providing valuable and predictable water flow for the Baker County Irrigation District.  A river running through a town can be an industrial eyesore or it can be an area of beauty and civic pride.  Today, the Leo Adler Memorial Parkway is one of Baker City's proud assets.  And with citizen involvement, it just keeps getting better every year.