Checkerboard Pattern | EROS

Checkerboard Pattern

Checkerboard Pattern

Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center - Earthshots

The close-up Landsat images that accompany this section show an obvious checkerboard pattern in the forest. These lands are known as “O&C” lands, which stands for Oregon and California Railroad. Land granted to O&C in 1866 was every other square mile, which formed the checkerboard pattern seen in the imagery. These lands now belong to the federal government, managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).

In these images, the squares that remain dark green generally are lands that belong to the BLM. In some of those squares, there is clearcutting and regrowth taking place in this time frame. Adjacent squares, however, have a more noticeable change in tan or white spots, indicating more frequent clearcuts in the logging/reforestation cycle.

View an animation of this area to see the changes as they happen.

Imagery

July 19, 1984, Landsat 5 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA

July 30, 1988, Landsat 5 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA

July 31, 1994, Landsat 5 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA

July 5, 1999, Landsat 7 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA

July 29, 2005, Landsat 5 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA

July 24, 2009, Landsat 5 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA

July 3, 2013, Landsat 8 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA

June 7, 2015, Landsat 8 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA

June 26, 2016, Landsat 8 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA

July 14, 2017, Landsat 8 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA

July 1, 2018, Landsat 8 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA

July 25, 2021, Landsat 8 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA

Aug. 5, 2022, Landsat 9 (path/row 46/30) — logging patterns, OR, USA

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