Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area Pictures

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Oregon Dunes Pictures,

It is not often that one sees “sand dunes” and “wet lands” in the same sentence, much less the same region!  Yet that is exactly what one finds in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area.  Captured in all of its surreal contrast in the stunning photography of John Christopher, this unique bioregion extends across over forty miles of the southern Oregon coast.  Here the powerful forces of wind and water combine to sculpt the sand into the most unexpected patterns.  While some dunes change shape very rapidly, others evolve much more slowly and allow various forms of life to flourish.  The overall picture of the Oregon dunes, however, is one of perpetual change and the basic, improvisational nature of life.

Not unlike Bob Lilly's "Fly Geyser" series, John Christopher's photography of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation area demonstrates the fascinating effects that may result from seemingly insignificant human intervention, given enough time.  Much of the interesting patterns that can be found there today can be traced back to the introduction of European beachgrass, which was first planted to prevent the movement of sand into canals and roadways.  Over time the grass proliferated, creating an incredibly effective windblock that has made the rest of the formations of the Oregon dunes region possible.    

Spanning the coastline from Florence to Coos Bay, the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area is the largest expanse of coastal sand dunes in North America.  Bounded by the salty sea to the west, and mountains to the east, a continuum of wet and dry conditions thrives between them.  Forming a ridge along the gently sloping beaches, one finds “foredunes” or low hills of sand and driftwood capped by European beachgrass.  Just on the other sides are the “hummocks,” (above) low mounds where sand accumulates around vegetation.  At certain times of the year water collects around them, giving them a magical appearance of floating islands.

The “deflation plains” lie just east of the hummocks, where high winds strip away the sand down to the water table.  Here many types of vegetation can thrive, as well as wildlife such as egrets (right).  During the winter, when the water table rises, marshes may result with standing water several feet deep.  In certain places the upward pressure of the water pushes the sand to the surface, resulting in quicksand.  These deflation plains are often rich in natural diversity, although the perpetual movement of wind and water means that their presence is tenuous at best, and are only temporary oases in an otherwise sandy, desert-like region.

Beyond the deflation plains are the “traverse dunes,” which are the eastern-most areas of the Oregon Dunes that host vegetation.  Here the wind shapes the sand into waves, the crests of which run perpendicular to the wind’s direction.  These waves can climb as high as twenty feet.  When the wind changes direction, as it is apt to do in this region, interesting ridges and other patterns may result.  These waves are moving steadily across the Oregon Dunes region, as the deflation plains continue to push them in an easterly direction.

The most spectacular aspect of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation area are the "oblique dunes" which extend over a hundred miles east of the traverse dunes.  The crests of these dunes can get up to five hundred feet high.  Their apparently sharp peaks are actually nothing more than soft sand shifting about in the same tumultuous wind, which paints its signature across every inch of this fascinating region.    

Aaron J Lozier, 2004