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36-534: Exposures of the Ringold Formation can be found from Hanford Reach National Monument north to the Moses Lake area. Large portions of the formation are buried by other sediment deposits, extending as far as Wallula Gap southeast of Kennewick . In recent years, irrigation water entering the groundwater system has destabilized some Ringold Formation slopes and cliffs, causing landslides. The formation

72-405: A house cat , it is one of the smallest extant procyonids (only the smallest in the olingo species group average smaller). Its body alone measures 30–42 cm (12–17 in) and its tail averages 31–44 cm (12–17 in) from its base. It typically weighs around 0.7 to 1.5 kg (1.5 to 3.3 lb). Its dental formula is 3.1.4.2 3.1.4.2 = 40. The ankle joint is flexible and

108-476: A way to mark territory. In 2003, a study in Mexico City found that ringtails tended to defecate in similar areas in a seemingly nonrandom pattern, mimicking that of other carnivores that utilized excretions to mark territories. Ringtails prefer a solitary existence but may share a den or be found mutually grooming one another. They exhibit limited interaction except during the breeding season, which occurs in

144-685: A wide variety of plants and animals, and the Hanford Reach provides one of the northwest's best salmon spawning grounds. Forty-eight rare, threatened, or endangered animal species have found refuge on the monument, as well as several insect species found nowhere else in the world. There are two main habitats in the Hanford Reach National Monument: desert and river. Islands, riffles, gravel bars, oxbow ponds and backwater sloughs provide support to forty-three species of fish. Large numbers of fall Chinook salmon spawn in

180-405: Is able to rotate over 180 degrees, making the animal an agile climber. The long tail provides balance for negotiating narrow ledges and limbs, even allowing individuals to reverse directions by performing a cartwheel. Ringtails also can ascend narrow passages by stemming (pressing all feet on one wall and their back against the other or pressing both right feet on one wall and both left feet on

216-407: Is black to dark brown in color with pale underparts. The animal has a pointed muzzle with long whiskers, similar to that of a fox (its Latin name means ‘clever little fox’) and its body resembles that of a cat. The ringtail's face resembles a mask as dark brown and black hair surround its eyes. These animals are characterized by a long black and white "ringed" tail with 14–16 stripes, which is about

252-429: Is home to forty-two mammal species. Mice are the most abundant and include the deer mouse, western harvest mouse, northern grasshopper mouse. Mammals that inhabit this refuge include coyotes , skunks , beavers , mule deer , bobcats , river otters , minks , cougars and badgers . Hanford Reach is home to nine nuclear reactors of which B Reactor is the most famous; constructed in 13 months during World War II, it

288-541: Is open from two hours before sunrise to two hours after sunset; some areas are open to the public and others are not: Several sites in the adjacent Hanford Site including the B Reactor are part of the Manhattan Project National Historical Park and are accessible on public tours. Ring-tailed cat The ringtail ( Bassariscus astutus ) is a mammal of the raccoon family native to arid regions of North America . It

324-497: Is widely distributed and well-adapted to its distributed areas. It has been legally trapped for its fur. It is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List . The species is known by a variety of different names, such as ring-tailed cat , miner's cat , civet cat , and cacomistle (or cacomixtle ), though the last of these can refer to B. sumichrasti . The ringtail is the state mammal of Arizona . The ringtail

360-805: The Cascade Range . It is covered in places by deposits from the Missoula Floods . Regional uplift caused the Columbia to erode parts of the Ringold Formation. The White Bluffs on the Hanford Reach National Monument is a significant example of this. Landslides along the Columbia River have increased in recent years due to irrigation around Basin City and Othello . Irrigation water enters and flows through

396-639: The Clearwater and Pend Oreille . Layers of volcanic ash can also be found, with thicknesses ranging from being barely noticeable to 4 feet (1.2 m) thick. The Ringold Formation represents sand and gravel placed by the Columbia River between 9 and 3 million years ago. These deposits overlay cooled lava erupted as part of the Columbia River Basalt Group, a type of volcanic eruption known as flood basalts erupting from fissures across eastern Washington and Oregon that were unrelated to

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432-674: The Columbia Plateau caused anticline folds like Rattlesnake Mountain and the Horse Heaven Hills to rise. These ridges provided geographic barriers, rerouting the river eastward toward the Tri-Cities with it eventually flowing through Wallula Gap. The Ringold Formation is the sediment laid down after this course change took place. Some of the sediments found as part of the formation may have been sourced from ancestral versions of other Pacific Northwest rivers like

468-600: The groundwater system toward the river easily through deposits left by the Missoula Floods. This destabilizes Ringold Formation features like the White Bluffs, causing the landslides. Landslides did not occur frequently before 1960. Rapid changes in river flow caused by the Priest Rapids Dam upstream may also contribute to slope destabilization. The largest landslide in the White Bluffs portion of

504-677: The Colville , Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation and the Nez Perce used the land for hunting and resource collecting. Geographically, the area is part of the Columbia River Plateau , formed by basalt lava flows and water erosion. The shrub-steppe landscape is harsh and dry, receiving between 5 and 10 inches (250 mm) of rain per year. The sagebrush-bitterbrush-bunchgrass lands are home to

540-830: The Hanford reach. Federally threatened species such as the Upper Columbia River Spring Chinook, the Middle Columbia River Steelhead and the Upper Columbia River Steelhead use the reach for migration purposes. The refuge is famous for the elk located on the Arid Lands Ecology Area. Herd numbers vary by time of year with 150 seen during the spring/summer and 350 to 375 during the fall. The elk population reaches its peak in

576-554: The early spring. Ringtails can survive for long periods on water derived from food alone, and have urine which is more concentrated than any other mammal studied, an adaptation that allows for maximum water retention. Ringtails mate in the spring. The gestation period is 45–50 days, during which the male will procure food for the female. There will be 2–4 kits in a litter. The cubs open their eyes after one month, and will hunt for themselves after four months. They reach sexual maturity at 10 months. The ringtail's lifespan in

612-405: The formation is adjacent to Locke Island . This complex, initiated in the 1970s, has rerouted the Columbia River. As a result of the change, critical salmon spawning habitat has been destroyed. The landslide restricts the flow of the river on the east side of the river and as a result, large portions of Locke Island are being removed by the Columbia River. Movement of this landslide is ongoing, but

648-516: The formation. An excavation done for a basement near Badger Mountain in Richland unearthed the northwesternmost example found thus far of Aphelops . This is also the only confirmed specimen of Aphelops in Washington. Hanford Reach National Monument The Hanford Reach National Monument is a national monument in the U.S. state of Washington . It was created in 2000, mostly from

684-453: The formation. In addition to those that were discovered along the river, there are 27 additional species. These include smaller animals such as frogs, lizards, and ring-tailed cats , as well as larger ones like horses, mastodons, and camels. Petrified wood can be found nearby. Analysis of late Miocene to early Pliocene fossils of ringtails suggests the area was once a much milder, but seasonal climate. Several unique specimens have been found in

720-708: The former security buffer surrounding the Hanford Nuclear Reservation . The area has been untouched by development or agriculture since 1943. For this reason, it is considered an involuntary park . The monument is named after the Hanford Reach , the last non-tidal, free-flowing section of the Columbia River in the United States, and is one of eight national monuments administered by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service ; part of

756-657: The monument within the Hanford Site is also managed by the Department of Energy . President Bill Clinton established the monument by presidential decree in 2000. In May 2017, the Interior Department announced that Hanford Reach was one of 27 national monuments under review for possible rescinding of their designation. Ancestors of the Wanapum People, Yakama Nation , Confederated Tribes of

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792-470: The most important foods during winters. However, the ringtail is omnivorous , as are all procyonids. Berries and insects are important in the diet year-round, and become the primary part of the diet in spring and summer, along with other fruit . As an omnivore the ringtail enjoys a variety of foods in its diet, the majority of which is made up of animal matter. Insects and small mammals such as rabbits, mice, rats and ground squirrels are some examples of

828-488: The northern desert state of Baja California to Oaxaca . Its distribution overlaps that of B. sumichrasti in the Mexican states of Guerrero , Oaxaca , and Veracruz . Fossils assigned to B. astutus dating back to the early Pliocene epoch have been found as far north as Washington . Small vertebrates such as passerine birds , rats , mice , squirrels , rabbits , snakes , lizards , frogs , and toads are

864-515: The other), and wider cracks or openings by ricocheting between the walls. As adults, these mammals lead solitary lives, generally coming together only to mate. A typical call is a very loud, plaintive bark. They produce a variety of sounds, including clicks and chatters reminiscent of raccoons. Ringtails have been reported to exhibit fecal marking behavior as a form of intraspecific communication to define territory boundaries or attract potential mates. It has been suggested that ringtails use feces as

900-412: The primary factor behind the continued movement is destabilization by the Columbia River eroding the fallen material. Blown sand from this landslide is the primary source material for sand dunes atop the bluffs near the island. The Locke Island slide is the northernmost slide along the White Bluffs. There are at least five other major slides into the Columbia River, with the southernmost one being across

936-478: The ringtail are the great horned owl and the red-tailed hawk. Ringtails have occasionally been hunted for their pelts , but the fur is not especially valuable. Fur trapping has slowed down considerably, but current population sizes and growth rates remain unclear. Ringtail are said to be easily tamed / habituated to humans , and can make an affectionate pet and effective mouser. Miners and settlers once kept pet ringtails to keep their cabins free of vermin; hence,

972-560: The ringtail tended to prey on whatever was most abundant during each respective season. During the spring the ringtail's diet consisted largely of insects, showing up in about 50% of the analyzed feces. Small rodents, snakes, and some lizards were also present. Plant matter was presented in large amounts, around 59% of the collected feces contained some type of plant, with fruits of Phaulothamnus , Lycium , and Solanum most common. The large amount of ironwood seeds and leaves demonstrated that these fleshy fruits were an obvious favorite of

1008-445: The ringtail's carnivorous tendencies. Occasionally the ringtail will also eat fish, lizards, birds, snakes and carrion. The ringtail also enjoys juniper, hack and black berries, persimmon, prickly pear, and fruit in general. They have even been observed partaking from birdseed feeders, hummingbird feeders, sweet nectar or sweetened water. The results of a study of scat from ringtails on Isla San José , Baja California Sur , showed that

1044-464: The ringtail. Foxes , coyotes , raccoons , bobcats , hawks , and owls opportunistically prey upon ringtails of all ages, though predominantly on younger, more vulnerable specimens. Also occasional prey to coatis, lynxes, and mountain lions, the ringtail is rather adept at avoiding predators. The ringtail's success in deterring potential predators is largely attributed to its ability to excrete musk when startled or threatened. The main predators of

1080-606: The riparian canyons, caves , or mine shafts. In areas with a bountiful source of water, as many as 50 ringtails/sq. mile (20/km ) have been found. Ranging from 50 to 100 acres (20 to 40 ha), the territories of male ringtails occasionally intersect with several females. The ringtail is found in the Southwestern United States in southern Oregon , California , eastern Kansas , Oklahoma , Arizona , New Mexico , Colorado , southern Nevada , Utah , Louisiana and Texas . In Mexico it ranges from

1116-466: The river from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in north Richland, which occurred in 2008. At least one slide has occurred in nearby coulees . The sediments include fossils from the Miocene . Along the Columbia River, fossilized remains of rhinoceros and salmonoid fish. The largest diversity of remains have been found among the White Bluffs, which are an exposed portion of the uppermost part of

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1152-510: The same length as its body. Ringtails are primarily nocturnal, with large eyes and upright ears that make it easier for them to navigate and forage in the dark. An adept climber, it uses its long tail for balance. The rings on its tail can also act as a distraction for predators. The white rings act as a target, so when the tail rather than the body is caught, the ringtail has a greater chance of escaping. The claws are short, straight, and semi-retractable, well-suited for climbing. Smaller than

1188-798: The wild is about seven years. The ringtail is commonly found in rocky desert habitats, where it nests in the hollows of trees or abandoned wooden structures. It has been found throughout the Great Basin Desert , which stretches over several states (Nevada, Utah, California, Idaho, and Oregon) as well as the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, and the Chihuahuan Desert in New Mexico, Texas, and northern Mexico. The ringtail also prefers rocky habitats associated with water, such as

1224-420: The winter with an average of 670. Archaeologists believed the elk had been in the region for the last 10,000 years. During the mid-19th century, first hand accounts mentioned the disappearance of the species. Rocky Mountain elk were reintroduced into the region during the 1930s, as well as a natural recolonization event from the nearby cascade mountains during the difficult 1978 winter. The dry, desert region

1260-485: Was named in 1917 for a school of the same name that existed at the time. Ringold School was located on the Franklin County side of the Columbia River to the south of Savage Island . During the flood basalt eruptions before the sediments were laid down, the Columbia River followed a different route than it does today, taking it near the present-day sites of Yakima and Goldendale . North-to-south compression of

1296-803: Was the world's first full scale reactor. Plutonium from the reactor was used in physics package for the first nuclear detonation at the Alamogordo Bombing and Gunnery Range in New Mexico (July 16, 1945) and in the Fat Man atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan (August 9, 1945). The reactor's significance has led to many distinctions including a place on the National Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark, National Register of Historic Places, Nuclear Historic Landmark, National Civil Engineering Landmark and National Historic Landmark. The monument

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