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Lake River from Ridgefield, Washington.
Lake River looking downstream, as seen from the Kayak Launch, Ridgefield, Washington.
Image taken, September 13, 2003.
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Lake River ...
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Lake River is a 10-mile-long chanel on the Washington side of the Columbia River running parallel to the Columbia. Lake River originates at Vancouver Lake to the south at River Mile (RM) 98, and then merges with the Columbia at the northern tip of Bachelor Island at RM 88. Sections of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge border the entire length of Lake River. The community of Ridgefield lies along the ridge to the east. Lake River is named after it's source, Lake Vancouver.
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Views of Lake River ...
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Bridge across Lake River, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
Looking west, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, November 25, 2006.
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Lake River, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
Looking upstream from wooden bridge, at Ridgefield NWR River "S" Unit.
Image taken, November 25, 2006.
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Click image to enlarge
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Lake River, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
Looking downstream from wooden bridge, at Ridgefield NWR River "S" Unit.
Image taken, November 25, 2006.
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Fall colors, Lake River, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
View at Ridgefield NWR River "S" Unit.
Image taken, November 25, 2006.
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Reflection, Fall colors, Lake River, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
View at Ridgefield NWR River "S" Unit.
Image taken, November 25, 2006.
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Union Pacific 4230 and Lake River, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
Looking upstream Lake River from bridge crossing Lake River, at Ridgefield NWR River "S" Unit.
Image taken, November 25, 2006.
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Union Pacific 4230 at Lake River, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
Looking east on bridge crossing Lake River, with Union Pacific train, at Ridgefield NWR River "S" Unit.
Image taken, November 25, 2006.
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Early Lake River and Ridgefield, Washington ...
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Throughout history Lake River has had many names, including
"Calapuya Creek", "Calipaya Inlet", "Vancouver Slough", and "Lake River".
In 1841, Charles Wilkes, of the U.S. Exploring Expedition called Lake River "Calapuya Creek".
On the 1854 cadastral survey (tax survey) for T4N R1W,
Bachelor Island is "Columbia Island", and Lake River is "Vancouver Slough". The Carty homestead is located on the east bank of Lake River, south of the junction of Lake River and Bachelor Island Slough, in the location of today's lower tip of Carty Lake. On the 1854 map, Carty Lake is presumed to be the small unnamed lake near the Carty homestead.
On the 1860 and 1862 Washington Territory's cadastral surveys (tax survey) for T3N R1W, Lake River is called "Vancouver Slough".
The 1881 U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey's Chart No.5, "Kalama to Fales Landing" and the 1888 Chart No.6, "Fales Landing to Portland" have Lake River listed as "Lake River". Carty Lake is depicted but unnamed, and closer to the location of today.
The 1888, U.S. Coast & Geodetic Survey's "Columbia River Sheet No.6, Fales Landing to Portland" (Chart No.6145) has Post Office Lake named. Other nearby features are "Lake River" (Lake River) and "Shallowpool Lake", today's Shillapoo Lake located south of Post Office Lake. Between Shillapoo Lake and the Columbia River is a stretch labeled "Upper Willow Bar" which runs from "Hewlett's Pt." (Hewlett Point) south to "Round Lake" (still Round Lake) north. "Upper Willow Bar" is today's
Frenchmans Bar and Caterpillar Island. On the Oregon side across from Post Office Lake is "Lower Willow Bar", the location of today's Willow Bar Islands, and "Willow Bar Pt.", today's Willow Point. "Lower Willow Bar" is shown as a mixture of small islands and sloughs.
An 1888 Plat Map of "Clarke County" has Lake River named "Lake River" and a Post Office at today's Ridgefield called "Union Ridge". Donation Land Claims (DLC) were
F. Shobart (DLC) south of town,
A. Quigley (DLC) north of town, and
J. Carty (DLC) in the are of today's Carty Lake.
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Lake River from Ridgefield, Washington.
Lake River looking downstream, as seen from the Kayak Launch, Ridgefield, Washington.
Image taken, September 13, 2003.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 5, 1805 ...
Rained all the after part of last night, rain continues this morning, I [s]lept but verry little last night [Post Office Lake, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge] for the noise Kept dureing the whole of the night by the Swans, Geese, white & Grey Brant Ducks &c. on a Small Sand Island [one of the islands of the Ridgefield Refuge] close under the Lard. Side; they were emensely noumerous, and their noise horid- we Set out <at about Sun rise> early here the river is not more than ¾ of a mile in width, passed a Small Prarie on the Stard. Side [???] passed 2 houses about ½ a mile from each other on the Lard. Side a Canoe came from the upper house, with 3 men in its mearly to view us, passed an Isld. Covered with tall trees & green briers [Bachelor Island] Seperated from the Stard. Shore by a narrow Chanel [Lake River or Bachelor Island Slough] at 9 [8?] miles I observed on the Chanel [Lake River or Bachelor Island Slough] which passes on the Stard Side of this Island [Bachelor Island] a Short distance above its lower point is Situated a large village [Cathlapotle Village, near where Lewis and Clark camped on March 29, 1806], the front of which occupies nearly ¼ of a mile fronting the Chanel, and closely Connected, I counted 14 houses in front here the river widens to about 1½ miles.
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about 1½ miles below this village on the Lard Side behind a rockey Sharp point [Warrior Point, Sauvie Island], we passed a Chanel ¼ of a mile wide [Multnomah Channel] which I take to be the one the Indian Canoe entered yesterday from the lower point of Immage Canoe Island [Hayden Island, at this point Lewis and Clark had not discovered Hayden Island and Sauvie Island were two separate islands]
a Some low clifts of rocks below this Chanel [St. Helens, Oregon],
a large Island Close under the Stard Side opposit [Lewis River floodplain, home of Woodland, Washington, possibly more of an "island" in 1805 ???], and 2 Small Islands, below [today's Burke and Martin Islands], here we met 2 canoes from below,- below those Islands a range of high hills form the Stard. Bank of the river [Martin Bluff], the Shore bold and rockey, Covered with a thick groth of Pine
an extensive low Island [Deer Island], Seperated from the Lard side by a narrow Chanel, on this Island we Stoped to Dine I walked out found it open & covered with <Small> grass interspersed with Small ponds, in which was great numbr. of foul, the remains of an old village on the lower part of this Island, I saw Several deer
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below the lower point of this Island [Deer Island] a range of high hills which runs S. E. forms the Lard. bank of the river the Shores bold and rockey & hills Covered with pine,
[Lewis and Clark are passing Goble, Oregon, and the area around the Trojan Nuclear Power Facility
The high hills leave the river on the Stard. Side a high bottom between the hill & river [Kalama, Washington]. We met 4 Canoes of Indians from below, in which there is 26 Indians, one of those Canoes is large, and ornimented with Images on the bow & Stern. That in the Bow the likeness of a Bear, and in Stern the picture of a man- we landed on the Lard. Side & camped [near Prescott Beach, Oregon] a little below the mouth of a creek [Kalama River] on the Stard. Side a little below the mouth of which is an Old Village which is now abandaned-; here the river is about one and a half miles wide. and deep, The high Hills which run in a N W. & S E. derection form both banks of the river the Shore boald and rockey, the hills rise gradually & are Covered with a thick groth of pine &c. The valley [Columbian Valley] which is from above the mouth of Quick Sand River [Sandy River] to this place may be computed at 60 miles wide on a Derect line, & extends a great Distanc to the right & left rich thickly Covered with tall timber, with a fiew Small Praries bordering on the river and on the Islands; Some fiew Standing Ponds & Several Small Streams of running water on either Side of the river; This is certainly a fertill and a handsom valley, at this time Crouded with Indians. The day proved Cloudy with rain the greater part of it, we are all wet cold and disagreeable- I saw but little appearance of frost in this valley which we call <Wap-pa-too Columbia> from the root or plants growing Spontaniously in this valley only
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We made 32 miles to day by estimation-
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