The Wood River is a short river in the southern region of the U.S. state of Oregon, and part of the Klamath Basin drainage. It flows through the Fremont-Winema National Forests, Bureau of Land Management land, and private property in southern Oregon. Its watershed consists of of conifer forest, rural pasture land, and marsh. The river provides habitat for many species of wildlife including an adfluvial (migratory) and resident populations of native Great Basin redband trout.
Course
The Wood River flows through Klamath County, Oregon with headwaters emanating from a large natural spring located in Jackson F. Kimball State Recreation Site. The aquifer that feeds the spring is believed to originate to the northwest in the east side drainage of Crater Lake National Park. The Wood River meanders through pine forest and agricultural land for before flowing into Agency Lake.
The Wood River's largest tributary is Annie Creek which originates inside the boundary of Crater Lake National Park, and is fed by the park's snowpack as well as groundwater from natural springs. After leaving the park, Annie Creek passes through the Fremont-Winema National Forests and then runs along the western border of Sun Pass State Forest for about a mile. It then crosses private pastureland and is joined by Sun Creek before joining the Wood River, about a mile south of Kimball State Recreation Site.
From there, the Wood runs south through the Fremont-Winema National Forests and private pasture land before Fort Creek joins the flow. Below Fort Creek, the river flows through private pasture land and then opens into a wide marsh. Much of the original marsh is now pasture land. Water from the river is diverted into a system of canals to irrigate grazing land in the surrounding valley. Finally, Crooked Creek joins the Wood approximately one mile before it empties into Agency Lake, which is connected to Upper Klamath Lake.
Discharge
The average discharge of the Wood River at its mouth is .
Watershed
The Wood River watershed drains forest land in the Cascade Mountains southeast of Crater Lake and the Wood River Valley. The drainage around its headwaters is forest county dominated by ponderosa pine and lodgepole pine with some quaking aspen in meadow lands. Annie Creek drains steep alpine forest country. From near its headwaters to the border of Crater Lake National Park, the creek has cut a deep canyon through the forest that is a well known feature within the park. After leaving the park, Annie Creek flows into flat meadow lands on the western border of Sun Pass State Forest. Annie Creek also feeds several irrigation canals including Scott Ditch, Shattuck Ditch, Loosely-Streeter-Cardwell Ditch, and Copeland Lateral Ditch. Excess flow from these canals is returned to Annie Creek and the Wood River. The lower Wood River flows through pasture land and ultimately opens into a large marsh before draining into Agency Lake.
History
In 1863, the United States Army established Fort Klamath near the Wood River in south central Oregon. Soldiers constructed a sawmill on Fort Creek, and use the lumber it produced to build officers quarters, troop barracks, a guardhouse and arsenal, a small hospital, a bakery, stables, and other structures. To the north of the post, the army planted of grass to supply fodder for it horses and mules. The fort was abandoned in 1889. None of the original buildings remain today.
River habitat
The Wood River habitat supports wild, self-sustaining populations of brook, brown, Great Basin redband, and coastal rainbow trout. These species are widely distributed throughout the river system from the headwaters to Agency Lake. Bull trout are native to upper Sun Creek inside Crater Lake National Park. Great Basin redband trout and coastal rainbow trout are species, both rainbow trout subspecies, native to the Klamath basin. The Wood River Species Management Unit (SMU) for redband trout is considered secure by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Annie Creek and Sun Creek are extremely important because of the relative rarity of water and riparian habitat in the area. Both creeks are classified as a large, fish-bearing stream under provisions of Oregon Forest Practices Act. This reserves sufficient stream flow to support aquatic life, but does not override the most senior water rights.