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Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Washougal, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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Steigerwald Lake ...
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Steigerwald Lake is located on the Washington side of the Columbia River at approximately River Mile (RM) 126, and today it is part of the Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge. The lake and refuge are upstream of Cottonwood Beach, Captain William Clark Park, Steamboat Landing, and Washougal, Washington. The Refuge is downstream of Cape Horn. Crown Point and Vista House are opposite on the Oregon side of the Columbia. Steigerwald Lake varies in size depending on how wet the season has been. The U.S. Board of Geographic Names Website (2006) lists the lake as 3.7 miles long.
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Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, as seen from Vista House, Crown Point, Oregon.
Image taken October 21, 2006.
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Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge.
View from Washington State Highway 14.
Image taken, June 29, 2005.
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Mute Swan on Steigerwald Lake, Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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Early Steigerwald Lake ...
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Steigerwald Lake was named after an early settler. The lake has also known as "Herzog's Lake", "Shepherds Lake", "Steigerwald Slough", and "Steigerwalds Lake". In 1949 the U.S. Board of Geographic Names made the official name "Steigerwald Lake".
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Gibbons Creek ...
Gibbons Creek runs through the Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, emptying into the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 126, where the U.S. Fish and Wildlife maintains a fish ladder. Before entering the Refuge, Gibbons Creek runs along the eastern side of Clark County, Washington, and the City of Washougal.
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Bridge crossing Gibbons Creek, Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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Gibbons Creek, Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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Gibbons Creek Wildlife Art Trail ...
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Sign, Gibbons Creek Wildlife Art Trail, Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge ...
Creating the Refuge ...
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The creation of Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge began as a dream of the Vancouver Audubon Society. From their website (2004):
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"Steigerwald Lake is a former floodplain that was diked in 1964 to create an industrial park. Dredge spoils from the Columbia River were pumped over the dike filling in much of the wetlands. In 1975, the newly formed Vancouver Audubon Chapter took the preservation of this area on as its first project. After ten years of gathering data and fighting various planned projects including a proposed nuclear power plant, the core of the area was purchased as a mitigation site for wetlands lost to the expansion of Bonneville Dam. This was accomplished through the efforts of Senator Mark Hatfield of Oregon, to whom we are grateful."
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Enjoying the Refuge ...
Views around the Refuge ...
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Information Kiosk, Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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Viewing area, Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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Frog, Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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Slough, Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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Wetlands, Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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Redtail Lake, Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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Birds ...
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From the Vancouver Audubon Website (2009):
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"... Because this southernmost area in Washington State is along the migration route of many birds that follow the Cascade Mountain Range, and is at the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge, where birds from the interior can reach here through the near sea-level break in the mountains, many species may be encountered. The bird list for this site is at over 180 species including White-faced Ibis, Trumpeter Swan, Tufted Duck, Surf Scoter, White-tailed Kite, Red-shouldered Hawk, Gyrfalcon, American Avocet, Least Flycatcher, Black Phoebe, Eastern Kingbird, Sage Thrasher, and Lesser Goldfinch. ..."
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"Birders", Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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American Goldfinch, female, Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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Northern Harrier, male, Steigerwald Lake NWR, Washington.
Image taken August 2, 2009.
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Mount Hood and Crown Point ...
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Good views of Mount Hood and Crown Point can be seen from Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge Viewpoint on Washington State Highway 14.
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Mount Hood, Oregon, as seen from Steigerwald Lake, Washington.
Image taken July 3, 2003.
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Crown Point, Oregon, as seen from Steigerwald Lake, Washington.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Mount Hood and Crown Point, Oregon, as seen from Steigerwald Lake, Washington.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 3, 1805 ...
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The Fog So thick [typical of the Pacific Northwest in the fall and spring] this morning that we could not See a man 50 Steps off, this fog detained us untill 10 oClock at which time we Set out [from their camp at Rooster Rock], ...
I walked on the Sand beech Lard. Side, opposit the canoes as they passed allong. The under groth rushes, vines &c. in the bottoms too thick to pass through, at 3 miles I arrived at the enterance of a river [Sandy River] which appeared to Scatter over a Sand bar, the bottom of which I could See quite across and did not appear to be 4 Inches deep in any part; I attempted to wade this Stream and to my astonishment found the bottom a quick Sand, and impassable- I called to the Canoes to put to Shore, I got into the Canoe and landed below the mouth, & Capt Lewis and my Self walked up this river about 1½ miles to examine this river which we found to be a verry Considerable Stream Dischargeing its waters through 2 Chanels which forms an Island [Sandy River Delta, which has had various names throughout history] of about 3 miles in length on the river and 1½ miles wide, composed of Corse Sand which is thrown out of this quick Sand river Compressing the waters of the Columbia and throwing the whole Current of its waters against its Northern banks, within a Chanel of ½ a mile wide, Several Small Islands 1 mile up this river, This Stream has much the appearance of the River Platt: roleing its quick Sands into the bottoms with great velocity after which it is divided into 2 Chanels by a large Sand bar before mentioned, the narrowest part of this River is 120 yards-on the Opposit Side of the Columbia a <large Creek> falls in [Washougal River] above this Creek on the Same Side is a Small prarie [location of Washougal, Washington, and Cottonwood Beach, now the home of Captain William Clark Park]. extensive low country on each Side thickly timbered
[low area upstream of Cottonwood Beach and Captain William Clark Park is the Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge].
The Quick Sand river [Sandy River] appears to pass through the low countrey at the foot of those high range of mountains in a Southerly direction,- The large Creeks which fall into the Columbia on the Stard. Side [Washougal River] rise in the Same range of mountains to the N. N. E. and pass through Some ridgey land- A Mountain which we Suppose to be Mt. Hood [Mount Hood, Oregon] is S. 85° E about 47 miles distant from the mouth of quick sand river [Sandy River] This mtn. is Covered with Snow and in the range of mountains which we have passed through and is of a Conical form but rugid- after takeing dinner at the mouth of this river [Sandy River] we proceeded on passed the head of a Island [Lady Island] near the lard Side [???] back of which on the Same Side and near the head a large Creek falls in [Washougal River, today the town of Camas, Washington, lies between Lady Island and the Washougal River], and nearly opposit & 3 miles below the upper mouth of quick Sand river is the lower mouth, [for?] This Island is 3½ miles long, has rocks at the upper point, Some timber on the borders of this Island in the middle open and ponney. Some rugid rocks in the middle of the Stream opposit this Island. <proceeded in> to Center of a large Island in the middle of the river which we call Dimond Isld. [Government Island] from its appearance, here we met 15 Indn men in 2 canoes from below, they informed us they Saw 3 vestles below &c. &c. we landed on the North Side of this Dimond Island and Encamped [on the north side of Government Island, perhaps opposite Fishers Landing], Capt. L walked out with his gun on the Island, Sent out hunters & fowlers- below quick Sand River [Sandy River] the Countrey is low rich and thickly timbered on each Side of the river [on the Oregon side this area is the eastern end of the Columbia Slough, located on the floodplain of the Willamette River with the Columbia River], the Islands open & Some ponds river wide and emence numbers of fowls flying in every direction Such as Swan, geese, Brants, Cranes, Stalks, white guls, comerants & plevers &c. also great numbers of Sea Otter in the river [Harbor Seals] -
a Canoe arrived from the village below the last rapid ...
Capt Lewis borrowed a Small Canoe of those Indians & 4 men took her across to a Small lake in the Isld. ...
... :
note the mountain we Saw from near the forks proves to be Mount Hood
[Mount Hood, Oregon]
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