Editing Grant County, Oregon (section)

==Geography==
[[File:Grant County.svg|alt=Map of Grant County|thumb|Map of Grant County]]
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|4529|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|4529|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|0.7|sqmi}} (0.02%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{Cite web |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files |url=http://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/counties_list_41.txt |access-date=February 25, 2015 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref>

Approximately 63% of the land area of the county is controlled by the Federal Government, most of which is controlled by the U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management. Grant County contains most of the [[Malheur National Forest]] and sections of the [[Wallowa–Whitman National Forest|Wallowa–Whitman]], [[Umatilla National Forest|Umatilla]] and [[Ochoco National Forest|Ochoco]] National Forests, and has more than {{convert|150000|acre|km2}} of federally designated Wilderness Areas.

Grant County contains the headwaters of the [[John Day River]], which has more miles of Wild and Scenic River designation than any other river in the United States.

The elevation of the county varies from 1,820 on the John Day River near [[Kimberly, Oregon|Kimberly]], to {{convert|9038|ft|m}} at the summit of [[Strawberry Mountain (Oregon)|Strawberry Mountain]]. The terrain of the county varies from grassland steppes and rangelands in relatively open or rolling hills and valleys, to steep, rugged, rocky high-alpine landscapes. Between these, the county contains heavily timbered land, many rolling hills, canyons and mountainous terrain. Portions of the county are technically high desert, dominated by sagebrush and sparse grasses.

[[File:Grant County, Oregon.jpg|right|thumb|370px|An aerial view of Grant County]]

Grant County includes the southern part of the [[Blue Mountains (Oregon)|Blue Mountains]]. One unique characteristic of the typical forestland of the area is the relatively low density of underbrush. Travelers and emigrants of the 19th century remarked that the absences of underbrush, and the wide spacing of the trees, made it possible to drive a wagon and team of horses virtually anywhere the grade would permit. The forested land of the county vary from sparse stands of Western Juniper in more arid, open, or rocky ground, to spruce-fir stands in the highest terrain. Other forested areas (mainly above {{convert|3200|ft|m}} in elevation) are marked by stands of [[Pinus ponderosa|Ponderosa Pine]], [[Douglas fir|Douglas-fir]], hybrid [[Abies grandis|Grand]] x [[Abies concolor|White Fir]], [[Western larch|Western Larch]] and [[Pinus contorta|Lodgepole Pine]]. At high elevations there are stands of [[Picea engelmannii|Engelmann Spruce]], [[Abies lasiocarpa|Subalpine Fir]], and [[Pinus albicaulis|Whitebark Pine]], as well as a few stands of [[Western white pine|Western White Pine]]. Cottonwoods grow along some rivers and streams, and there are small groves of birch and [[Populus tremuloides|Quaking Aspen]] at higher elevations. There is also a rare and isolated stand of [[Cupressus nootkatensis|Alaska Yellow Cedar]] in the Aldrich Mountains. Other flora includes a wide variety of native grasses and wildflowers, huckleberries, wild strawberries, elderberries, several types of edible mushrooms and [[Mahonia aquifolium|Oregon-grape]], the state plant. Non-native [[Cheatgrass]] is also prevalent in many areas of the county.

Grant County is also home to what may be one of the [[Largest organisms|largest living organism]] in the world, a giant fungus of the species ''[[Armillaria solidipes]]'' that lives within the Malheur National Forest. It was found to span {{convert|8.9|km2|acre}}. Its total mass has been estimated to be between 8,500 and 10,500 tons, and its age at somewhere between 2,000 and 8,500 years.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beale |first=Bob |date=October 4, 2003 |title=Environment & Nature News - Humungous fungus: world's largest organism? - 10/04/2003 |url=http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/common/printfriendly.pl?/science/news/enviro/EnviroRepublish_828525.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160831172400/http://www.abc.net.au/cgi-bin/common/printfriendly.pl?%2Fscience%2Fnews%2Fenviro%2FEnviroRepublish_828525.htm |archive-date=August 31, 2016 |website=abc.net.au Science Online}}</ref>

The physical terrain one encounters today is far different than in prehistoric times. Fossil records show that, in the Paleozoic and early Mesozoic eras, much of the county was an ancient seabed. After emerging, the absence of the Cascade Mountains allowed the region to experience a relatively wet temperate climate. Ancient Tertiary rivers flowed through the area on courses that would be impossible today. During the Cenozoic Era, volcanic activity and extensive lava flows in the region dramatically changed the landscape. The John Day Fault (one of the only major faults in North America to run east–west) runs along the southern edge of the John Day Valley, caused an uplift, forming the Strawberry and Aldrich mountain ranges and the northern boundary of the Great Basin. Relatively recently in geological terms, during the last Ice age and shortly thereafter, large lakes were present in southeastern Oregon. Continual glaciers were still clinging to mountains in the area in the late 19th century, and one small glacier on Strawberry Mountain often remains year-round.

The geology of Grant County is rich, including one of the largest fossil concentrations in North America: The [[John Day Fossil Beds National Monument|John Day Fossil Beds]], which the U.S. Congress designated as a National Monument in 1974. Valuable metals, including gold, silver, platinum group elements, chrome, copper and cobalt, are found in the region. It was this mineral wealth, and the development of gold mines in particular, that spurred the permanent settlement of the area. Large zones of serpentine, a metamorphic rock, dating from the Triassic period, are found in numerous locations. Strawberry Mountain (an extinct volcano), the granite peaks and boulders of the Elkhorn Mountains, and numerous rim rocks, lava flows and basalt outcrops are evidence of the historic volcanic activity in the region. Hydrothermal resources are still present, with a number of hot and warm springs.

The remnants of ferns, semi-tropical and temperate deciduous forests, shellfish, saber-toothed cats, extinct horse and camel species, and giant sloth, among other extinct species found in the John Day Fossil Beds, are a reminder that the flora and fauna of the region has changed significantly over the millennia. While deer, elk, pronghorn, cougar, bear and upland game bird populations thrive today, some of these animals were remarkably scarce 200 years ago. Explorers and trappers traveling through the region in the early 19th century remarked on the scarcity of game animals and their ability (or inability, as the case were) to find food.

Native fish in the region include several trout species; warm water fish such as bass and perch are found in the lower John Day River; and migratory salmon and steelhead are found in the county seasonally. While salmon and steelhead returns to the John Day Basin experienced a sharp decline during the past 50 years, mainly due to the construction of large dams on the Columbia River, the major watercourses of John Day Basin remain free of physical obstructions, and the numbers of returning salmon and steelhead have improved in recent years, marking some of the best fish runs recorded in the past half-century.
 
Most of Grant County is drained by the four forks of the John Day River, all of which have their headwaters in the county. The John Day River system drains some {{convert|7900|sqmi|km2}}. It is the third longest free-flowing river in the "lower 48" and has more miles of federal "Wild and Scenic River" designation than any other river in the United States. The river system in Grant County includes the upper {{convert|100|mi|km}} of the Main Stem, all of the {{convert|112|mi|km}} of the North Fork, all {{convert|75|mi|km}} of the Middle Fork, and all {{convert|60|mi|km}} of the South Fork of the John Day River. From Grant County, the lower John Day River flows another {{convert|184|mi|km}} to its confluence with the Columbia River. The southeastern corner of the county includes the headwaters of the Malheur and Little Malheur rivers, which find their way to the Snake River. The southern part of Grant County includes the northernmost reaches of the Great Basin, including the Silvies River watershed, which flows south into Harney Lake in the High Desert of Eastern Oregon. A small area in the southwestern corner of Grant County is in the Crooked River and Deschutes River watersheds.

Grant County is an arid to temperate region, with average annual precipitation ranging from {{convert|9|in|mm}} near Picture Gorge, to over {{convert|40|in|mm}} in the Strawberry Mountains. Annual precipitation in the valleys averages between 12 and {{convert|14|in|mm}}, while the uplands or highlands of the county average between 16 and {{convert|24|in|mm}}. Grant County averages between 40 and 60 days each year that see more than {{convert|0.10|in|mm}} of precipitation. A great deal of the county's precipitation comes in the form of winter snow in the mountains. This snow pack is vital to recharge aquifers, resulting in spring run-off, and in-stream flows of water throughout the year.

Average temperatures in the county range from the warmest community, Monument, with average daily highs/lows of 90°/50&nbsp;°F in July and 42°/22&nbsp;°F in January; to the coolest community, Seneca, with average daily highs/lows of 80°/38&nbsp;°F in July and 33°/8&nbsp;°F in January. Extreme temperatures in the county show 30-year highs/lows of: 103°/-37&nbsp;°F at Austin; 112°/-23&nbsp;°F at John Day; 108°/-25&nbsp;°F at Long Creek; 112°/-26&nbsp;°F at Monument; and 100°/-48&nbsp;°F at Seneca.

Grant County has an estimated 200 days of clear sunny or mostly sunny days, or an estimated 300 days of clear sunny, mostly sunny, or partly sunny days each year. The county experiences an estimated 65 days of overcast skies, with about 165 days of partly to mostly cloudy days annually.

===Adjacent counties===
Grant County is bordered by a total of eight Oregon counties. This is the most of any county in the state.

* [[Morrow County, Oregon|Morrow County]] - northwest
* [[Umatilla County, Oregon|Umatilla County]] - north
* [[Union County, Oregon|Union County]] - northeast
* [[Baker County, Oregon|Baker County]] - east
* [[Malheur County, Oregon|Malheur County]] - southeast/Mountain Time Border
* [[Harney County, Oregon|Harney County]] - south
* [[Crook County, Oregon|Crook County]] - southwest
* [[Wheeler County, Oregon|Wheeler County]] - west

===National protected areas===
* [[John Day Fossil Beds National Monument]] (part)
* [[Malheur National Forest]] (part)
* [[Ochoco National Forest]] (part)
* [[Umatilla National Forest]] (part)
* [[Wallowa–Whitman National Forest]] (part)