Chapter 15

The Intermontane West

 

The region: know boundaries and why it’s a region

 

Physical Geography

•Terrain:

–Columbia Plateau

•Basalt Lava Flows

–Colorado Plateau

•Mesa and Scarp

–Basin and Range

•Isolated Mountains,  Alluvial Piedmont, Slopes, Flat-floored  Basins                            

•Soils: Complex

–Palouse: rich soils

–other areas require irrigation

–Vegetation:

–Different vegetation at different elevations and slopes

–Mountains:  Forested

–Ponderosa Pine/Douglas Fir

–Piρon/Juniper

–Uplands: Short grass prairie

–Desert Lowlands: Sagebrush

–Climate:

–Subhumid (northern highlands , Semi-arid (Columbia Plateau), Arid (Great Basin, southern deserts)

 

 

Historical Cultural Geography

•First Nations to 1860s

•High level of civilization in Tribes in southern portion

–Influx of Spanish

–Fur trade shifts to mining

–Rise of Mormon Deseret

 

•1860s to 1920s

–Removal of First Nations and creation of reservation areas

–Economic role of the railroads

–Mining booms and busts

–Rise of irrigated agriculture

 

Large Indian Reservations

Navaho

Hopi

Pueblos

Apache

Umatilla

Yakima

 

Modern Cultural Geography

•         1920s to 1970s

–        Fluctuations in economy:

•         Global mining booms and busts

•         Agriculture: dry, irrigated and livestock

•         1970s to Present

–        Rapid urbanization

–        Environmental conflicts over water in particular

–        Hispanic Borderland issues

–        Increasing importance of tourism

–        Important minority subcultures: Hispanic, Native American and Mormon

 

 

Resource Economy

•Forestry: Miniscule

•Agriculture: Irrigation is Key

–Livestock and Specialty Crops

•Mining

–Precious Metals

•Renewed Interest

–Base Metals

•Copper  (price fluctuations)

–Salts

–Energy Minerals

 

Irrigated Agriculture in the Intermontane West                    

•         Most scarcity of water here than any other region

•         BIG water projects for agriculture, recreation and development

•         Most have been developed to full potential

•         In south, overextended: Colorado River serving LA before, Arizona cities and Mexico now

•         In WA and OR, more potential for development, center pivot important

 

 

Major Irrigated Agriculture Areas

•         Snake River Plain

–        Hay, potatoes, and sugar beets

•         Columbia Plateau Fruit Valleys

–        Yakima

–        Wenatchee

•         Columbia Basin

–        Center-pivot irrigation

–        Potatoes and cornI

•         Salton Trough

–        Truck gardening

•         Salt River Valley

–        Cotton and mixed crops

•         Rio Grande Project

–        Hay and feed grains

•         Colorado’s Grand Valley

–        Fruit (peaches in particular)

•         Salt Lake Oasis

–        Wheat, sugar beets, and fruit

 

 

Mining

•Boom and Bust Economy

–Depends on Global Market

•Copper

–Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada

•Salts: most from salty lakes in arid areas of southeastern CA

–Owens Lake

–Bonneville Salt Flats

–Death Valley

–Oil (limited)

–Coal: Open Pit

–Utah’s Energy Boom

–Development of Southern Utah

–Four Corners and the Navaho

–Major Environmental Issues

–Substantial Exporting into the National Power Grid for...

–Las Vegas,  Phoenix,  Southern California

–Uranium

–NW New Mexico

 

Open Pit Mine Near Utah/Arizona Border

 

 

Water/Land Use Issues

•Multi-purpose Projects  Pros/Cons

–Salmon vs. Dams

–Residential vs. Agricultural Water Use

•Shift to Residential (Uses Less)

•Innefficient checkerboard land use patterns

•Government owns 50 to 75 percent of lands, many opposed and pushing for privatization

The Attraction of the West

•Features unlike any other place: Arches in Utah, Grand Canyon, Badlands, etc.

•Dry, sunny climate good for health

•Cultural benefits: Hispanic, Morman and Native American flavor and sites to visit

• Tourism big in north summer, south in winter

•People move here for retirement, especially in south

Sprawling Cities

•Phoenix, Salt Lake City, Vegas

•Twin border cities like El Paso/Juarez

•Newer cities than east without centers

•Little public transport (use cars)

•People move around! Campers and mobile homes popular.

•Retirement and planned communities

 

 

Summary

•Before the 1960s, this region was mainly focused upon a natural resource economy (agriculture/livestock and mining) and some forms of tourism.

•Since the 1960s, the region has become more involved with urbanism and manufacturing.

•World economy/market increasingly important to expansion of this region’s sprawling out cities and tourism.

•Water and inhospitable terrain seem to be the only limits to growth