The Seven Geographic Regions of Washington State

1. The Seven Geographic Regions of Washington State

2. The Seven Geographic Regions of the Pacific Northwest • 1) Coastal • 2) Western Lowlands • 3) Western Cascade Mountains • 4) Eastern Cascades Mountains • 5) Columbia Basin • 6) Okanogan Highlands • 7) Palouse Hills

4. Coastal Region • lies along the western coastline of the United States • This long and very narrow region, is only 40 to 70 miles(65 to 110 km) wide

6. Willapa Bay

7. Grays Harbor

8. Strait of Juan de Fuca

9. Coastal Region • Topography • Normally most coastal areas are near sea level • Not true in the Pacific Northwest • Elevations approach nearly 8,000 feet • The profile begins at sea level, climbs to the top of the Olympic Mountains and the Coastal Range, then rapidly descends to nearly sea level again.

11. Coastal Region • Climate • Because of off shore warm currents British Columbia, and southern Alaskan (coast-lines), have a very mild, but moist climate throughout the year. • This climate provides lush vegetation and supports dense coniferous (softwood) forests. • Extensive ever-green forests cover the Coastal Region except were development has taken place.

12. Coastal Region • Precipitation • 40 inches (101 cm) a year • 200 inches (508 cm) of rainfall annually in the Olympic Mountains • Rain shadow

14. Coastal Region • Economic Activities • One result of the region’s mild rainy cli-mate is the abundance and variety of plant and animal life. • main economic activities include : • fishing, • forestry, • general farming, • tour-ism.

15. Western Lowlands • The Western Lowlands are made up of • three large subregions: • 1) the Puget Sound Trough • 2) the Chehalis-Cowlitz-Columbia river valleys • 3) the Willamette River Valley

16. Western Lowlands • Puget Sound Trough • located in western Washington • It is a densely populated fertile lowland that is a hub of economic activity. • All are centers of urban and industrial activities (Microsoft, Boeing, Starbucks).

18. Western Lowlands • Due to glacial erosion, Puget Sound has an irregular shoreline and numerous deep, sheltered harbors such as: • Hood Canal-Bangor, Elliott Bay-Seattle, Commencement Bay-Tacoma, Everett, Bremerton, Olympia, Anacortes, and Bellingham.

29. Western Lowlands • Economic Activities • Climate encourages • Farming: vegetables, berries, flower bulbs, fruits, nuts, nursery plants and shrubs, some grains, • Livestock: dairy products, and beef. • Western Lowlands economy is be-coming more industrialized: • transportation equipment, • electronics, • high technology

31. Eastern and Western Cascade Mountains • Just east of the Western Lowlands, also lying along a north-south axis, are the Cascade Mountains. • They extend from southern British Columbia, Canada, through the states of Washington and Oregon and end in northern California.

33. Cascade Mountains • Natural Barrier • a formidable physical, climatic, and transportation barrier. • averaging about 6,000 feet (1,800 m) in elevation with many volcanic peaks above 10,000 feet (3,000 m) • Cascade Range has only a few low mountain passes. • Snoqualmie (I-90) • Stevens (SR-2) • White (SR-10) • Chinook( SR-410) • Cascade Range has only one major lowland, where the Columbia River cuts through the Columbia Gorge.

34. Cascade Mountains • .Volcanoes • The Cascade Mountains are part of the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire.” • Tallest Mount Rainier 14,411 • Smallest Mt. St. Helens 8,365 ft

38. Cascade Mountains • Climate • these north-south mountains are a physical barrier to the region’s climate • West wet East dry • 100 inches (250 cm) on the western slope and decreases to only 20 inches (50 cm) on the eastern slopes

39. Cascade Mountains • Rainier set the world record with 1,224.5 inches (3,110.2 cm) or 102 feet of snow between February19, 1971, and February 18, 1972. • heavy annual snowfall provides the late spring and early summer river runoff, especially significant for those eastern slope rivers flowing through the semiarid regions of Washington and Oregon.

40. Cascade Mountains • Highland Climate • Due to great range in elevation have climates that are more moist and very mild. summer maximum temperatures are cooler, but the winter minimum temperatures are colder.

42. Cascade Mountains • Difference in vegetation east vs. west • West dense evergreen coniferous forests Fir species • East pine • Animals birds, small animals, and big game animals, such as elk, black bear, cougar or mountain lion, mule deer,bighorn sheep, and mountain goats.

43. Cascade Mountains Some towns began as mining towns • Cle Elum: Coal • Roslyn: Coal Some towns began as centers of agriculture Wenatchee Ellensburg Most areas today are involved in recreational tourism Skiing Snowmobiling Hunting/Fishing

44. Cascade Mountains • Inhabitants • The Cascade Mountain Region is sparsely populated. • Most land in the Cascades is owned or controlled by either the state or federal government.

47. Columbia Basin • It is the world’s second largest lava plateau. • The Columbia Plateau was constructed by as many as 55 different lava flows. • 400 miles (640 km) from north to south and 500 miles (800 km) east to west