Metolius Springs are located just north of Black Butte near the small unincorporated town of Camp Sherman in central

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The springs are the source of the

Metolius River The Metolius River (pronounced ''muh TOLL ee us'') is a tributary of the Deschutes River (through Lake Billy Chinook) in Central Oregon, United States, near the city of Sisters. The river flows north from springs near Black Butte, then turns sha ...

, which flows through the

Deschutes National Forest The Deschutes National Forest is a United States National Forest located in parts of Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, and Jefferson counties in central Oregon. It comprises along the east side of the Cascade Range. In 1908, the Deschutes National ...

emptying into

Lake Billy Chinook Lake Billy Chinook is a reservoir in Jefferson County, Oregon, Jefferson County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Created by the Round Butte Dam in 1964, Lake Billy Chinook lies in a canyon at the confluence of the Crooked River (Oregon), Crooked, Desch ...

. The flow from Metolius Springs is sufficient to create a full-flowing river, making the Metolius River one of the largest spring-fed rivers in the

. The name of the springs comes from the Warm Springs or

Sahaptin The Sahaptin are a number of Native American tribes who speak dialects of the Sahaptin language. The Sahaptin tribes inhabited territory along the Columbia River and its tributaries in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. Sahaptin-s ...

word ''mitula'', meaning ''white salmon'' and referring to a light colored

Chinook salmon The Chinook salmon (''Oncorhynchus tshawytscha'') is the largest and most valuable species of Pacific salmon in North America, as well as the largest in the genus ''Oncorhynchus''. Its common name is derived from the Chinookan peoples. Other ve ...

and not a whitefish.

Sources

The source of the springs is unknown, but there is evidence that it comes from a large drainage basin near

Black Butte Ranch Black Butte Ranch is a census-designated place (CDP) and unincorporated private resort community in Deschutes County, Oregon, United States. It is located in the Cascade Range, northwest of Sisters. The population was 366 at the 2010 census. ...

, several miles south of Black Butte. The elevation of the Black Butte Ranch drainage basin is above that of the springs which would allow a natural flow of water under Black Butte to the Metolius

headwaters The headwaters of a river or stream is the farthest place in that river or stream from its estuary or downstream confluence with another river, as measured along the course of the river. It is also known as a river's source. Definition The ...

.Peterson, N.V. and E.A. Groh
"Geology and Origin of the Metolius Springs"
''The Ore Bin'', Volume 34, No. 3,

Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) is the agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for collecting, maintaining and disseminating geologic information, and regulation of industries which comme ...

, State of Oregon, Portland, Oregon, March 1972. The springs were probably created about one and a half million years ago when Black Butte erupted blocking a north-flowing river. With the newly formed butte blocking the natural channel, water backed up south of the mountain creating a swampy meadow area. Over time, the water seeps through porous rocks under the butte and now emerges on the north side of Black Butte at Metolius Springs.Staats, Scott
"Metolius River: Great Hiking And Fishing"
''Bend Weekly'', Bend, Oregon, 29 June 2006. There are two groups of springs about apart that create the headwaters of the Metolius River. Springwater gushes from its underground source at a rate of . This makes the Metolius one of the largest spring-fed rivers in the country. The water temperature at the springs is .

Viewing area

The Metolius Springs and around it were originally owned by

Sam Johnson Samuel Robert Johnson (October 11, 1930May 27, 2020) was an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for in Congress from 1991 to 2019. He was a member of the Republican Party. In October and November 2015, he was the acting ...

, a wealthy lumber mill owner. Johnson preserved the springs in their natural state, and allowed public access to a scenic headwaters viewing area located on his land. In 1965, Johnson gave the Metolius Springs viewing area to the

United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...

."Showcasing the Faces of Oregon Leadership – Sam Johnson"
, Earl Blumenauer for Oregon web-site, ''www.earlblumenauer.com'', 2007. Today, the Deschutes National Forest maintains a day-use viewing area overlooking Metolius Springs. The site is normally open from April until November. It includes a paved walkway from the parking area to the Metolius Springs viewing point with interpretative signs along the way. There are also three

picnic table A picnic table (or picnic bench) is a table with benches (often attached), designed for working with and for outdoor dining. The term is often specifically associated with rectangular tables having an A-frame structure. Such tables may be referr ...

s and a vault-type toilet facility. However, there is no potable water and

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more nat ...

is not allowed at the site."Head of the Metolius Day Use"
Deschutes National Forest, United States Department of Agriculture, Bend, Oregon, 26 July 2004

References

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External links

Deschutes National Forest
Geology of Oregon Springs of Oregon Bodies of water of Jefferson County, Oregon