By 1850, the native population had been greatly reduced by disease and forced removal, and the first major wave of EuroAmerican settlement was underway. These early settlers were powerfully drawn to floodplains for fertile agricultural soils and to rivers for energy and transportation. A ecological mosaic that had seen relatively gradual change for a 1,000 years entered a period of rapid change.
This change continues today, with population in the basin projected to reach nearly four million people by 2050, nearly double today's number. This is equivalent to adding 13 cities the size of Eugene.
Page 8