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Canyons and Dissected Uplands

Ecoregion on Columbia Plateau in OR, WA, ID

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In the Canyons and Dissected Uplands ecoregion, deep river canyons divide the Blue Mountains from the Rocky Mountains. The Snake, Grande Ronde, Imnaha, and Salmon Rivers and their tributaries have cut the Columbia Plateau to depths of 2,000 to 5,000 feet. These canyons are cut through the same metasedimentary and metavolcanic rock that forms the Wallowa and Seven Devils; they differ from their lower stretches in Ecoregion 10l that are cut into basalt. The depth of the canyons and the exposed metamorphic rocks result in stony soils on canyon slopes that retain little moisture. Bluebunch wheatgrass, Sandberg’s bluegrass, and spiny greenbush are adapted to grow under these hot, dry conditions. Land use includes grazing and recreation on National Forest land and in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area.

— EPA

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