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Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
River "S" Unit.
Image taken, November 25, 2006.
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Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge ...
The Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge is located on the shore of the Lower Columbia River, 10 miles downstream from
Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver, Washington, with the headquarters being located in Ridgefield, Washington. The Refuge was established in 1965 in response to a need to establish winter habitat for the dusky Canada goose whose nesting areas in Alaska were severly impacted by the violent earthquake of 1964. The refuge covers over 5,000 acres of flood plain habitat, seasonal and permanent wetlands, and agricultural lands. The Lewis and Clark expedition came through this area twice, viewing camping near Post Office Lake on November 4, 1805, and setting up camp in a meadow near a
Cathlapotle village on March 29, 1806.
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River "S" Unit Auto Tour ...
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The River "S" Unit of the Ridgefield NWR has a 4.2 mile auto tour route which circles Rest Lake, plus a 1.5 mile seasonal hiking trail known as the "Kiwa Trail".
The auto tour is an excellent way to see the Refuge.
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Touring cars, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
River "S" Unit.
Image taken, March 29, 2007.
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"Your car is your blind", Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
River "S" Unit.
Image taken, December 30, 2006.
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American Kestral, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 14, 2007.
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Northern Shoveler and Cinnamon Teal Confrontation.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 14, 2007.
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Bufflehead, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, March 29, 2007.
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Heron, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, March 25, 2007.
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Heron and snake, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, March 25, 2007.
[Sony Alpha DSLR, 75-300]
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Red-tailed Hawk, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, April 14, 2007.
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Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
River "S" Unit.
Image taken, December 30, 2006.
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Click image to enlarge
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Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
River "S" Unit.
Image taken, December 30, 2006.
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Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
River "S" Unit.
Image taken, November 25, 2006.
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River "S" Unit, Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
Image taken, November 25, 2006.
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Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, Washington.
Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, River "S" Unit.
Image taken, September 13, 2003.
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Skip to the Refuge Website ...
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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
...
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
...
We made 32 miles to day by estimation-
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