Owyhee Bloom

Nothing but dirt, rocks, and if your lucky the occasional flower. This year if you ventured into the Owyhee Desert it is hard not to get lucky. This spring has been an exceptional wildflower season. Still in full swing this last week of June, and should stay with us for another week or two.

 

This grouping of Lupine can be photographed from the McIntyre Ridge Road near 3 Fingers Butte. The roads are in good shape and the camping is good at near by Succor Creek State Park, in the far eastern edge of Oregon.

Three Fingers Butte, known by the locals as Three Fingered Jack rises above the sage brush floor near Succor Creek State Park.

Dam Spring Runoff

"It reminds me of the north sea." The Dam Manager of the Owyhee Dam told me. Cold and violent, the green water of the spillway crashes into the basalt cliffs that hold the footings of the Owyhee Dam. Creating the sea green waves mimicking that of a volatile sea. (click here to see more dam photos)

The Owyhee Dam built in 1929 stands 417 feet and served as the prototype for the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River near Las Vegas.