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Cathlamet Bay, Oregon, just upstream of Tongue Point, with Mott Island.
Mott Island is treed island in the background, and is part of the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge.
Image taken May 25, 2004.
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Cathlamet Bay ...
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Cathlamet Bay, Oregon, is east of
Tongue Point (Columbia River Mile (RM) 18) and south of the main shipping channel of the Columbia River. On the Washington side lies Grays Bay. The many islands in Cathlamet Bay are part of the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge and are covered by tule in the summer and almost indiscernible in the winter. The islands are separated by numerous channels and sloughs. John Day Channel follows the Oregon coast line and extends between
Tongue Point and
John Day Point. At the junction with the
John Day River, just north of John Day Point, the channel name changes to South Channel, which follows the shore closely to and around Settler Point to
Svensen, Oregon, where it merges with Prairie Channel. Prairie Channel then continues along the shore, past Knappa and Blind Sloughs up to Aldrich Point. After the point the channel is called Clifton Channel until it's head at the eastern end of Tenasillahe Island. These channels are marked by buoys and daybeacons.
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"Seal Islands" ...
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Lewis and Clark refered to the area of Cathlamet Bay and the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife as the "Seal Islands".
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"... Great numbers of Swan Geese Brant Ducks & Gulls in this great bend which is Crouded with low Islands covered with weeds grass &c. and overflowed every flood tide ..."
[Clark, November 26, 1805, first draft]
"... crossed a Short distance above the rock out in the river, & between Some low marshey Islands to the South Side of the Columbia at a low bottom about 3 miles below Point Samuel and proceeded near the South Side leaveing the Seal Islands to our right and a marshey bottom to the left 5 Miles to the Calt-har-mar Village ..."
[Clark, November 26, 1805]
The "rock out in the river" is Pillar Rock, Point Samuel is today's Aldrich Point and the Calt-har-mar Village is in the location of Knappa, Oregon.
Lewis and Clark again passed through the islands of Cathlamet Bay on March 24, 1806. They camped that evening at Aldrich Point.
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"... at half after 3 P. M. we set out and continued our rout among the seal Islands; not paying much attention we mistook our rout which an Indian perceiving pursued overtook us and put us in the wright channel. ..."
[Lewis, March 24, 1806]
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"... we proceeded on through Some difficult and narrow Channels between the Seal Islands, and the south side to an old village on the south side opposit to the lower War ki a com village, and Encamped. ..."
[Clark, March 24, 1806]
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"... passed through a number of Islands called the Seal Islands, which lay on the So side of the River ..."
[Whitehouse, March 24, 1806]
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Knappa Slough, at Knappa, Oregon, east side of Cathlamet Bay.
Karlson Island is on the left. Private dock in the foreground.
Image taken June 16, 2004.
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Campsite of November 26, 1805 ...
Cathlamet Bay from Twilight Eagle Sanctuary ...
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Cathlamet Bay, Oregon, looking towards Grays Bay, Washington.
Looking across from the Twilight Eagle Sanctuary viewing platform, towards Grays Bay, Washington (light tan at shoreline).
Image taken August 2, 2003.
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Lewis and Clark NWR, Columbia River Estuary, Cathlamet Bay.
Looking downstream from the Twilight Eagle Sanctuary viewing platform, across Cathlamet Bay (part of the Columbia River Estuary and the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge). Approximate site of Lewis and Clark's campsite of November 26, 1805.
Image taken August 2, 2003.
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Click image to enlarge
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Lewis and Clark NWR, Columbia River Estuary, Cathlamet Bay.
Looking from the Twilight Eagle Sanctuary viewing platform, across Cathlamet Bay, part of the Columbia River Estuary and the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge.
Image taken August 2, 2003.
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Campsite of March 23, 1806 ...
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Cathlamet Bay, Oregon, near Tongue Point, showing the east side of Tongue Point.
Approximate site of Lewis and Clark's Campsite of March 23, 1806.
Image taken May 25, 2004.
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Early Cathlamet Bay ...
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In 1792 Lieutenant Broughton of the British Captain George Vancouver Expedition, passed by Cathlamet Bay but took no special note of it, instead noting Grays Bay across the Columbia.
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"Mr. Broughton proceeded in the cutter at a moderate distance from the shore, with soundings of 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 fathoms to Tongue point. On the eastern side of this point the shores first fall to the southward, and then stretch nearly E. N. E. From this point was seen the centre of a deep bay, lying at the distance of seven miles, N. 26 E. This bay terminated the researches of Mr. Gray; and to commemorate his discovery it was named after him Gray's Bay. "
Lewis and Clark camped twice in Cathlamet Bay, the first being the night of November 26, 1805 and the second being on their return on March 23, 1806. Lewis and Clark called the many islands in the bay the "Seal Islands". (See more above.)
In 1841 Charles Wilkes of the U.S. Exploring Expedition called the bay "Swan Bay". The "Termination Islands" are the many islands which hug the Oregon shore and are now part of the Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge.
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"Swan Bay, on the south shore, lies between Tongue Point and the Termination Islands. It is 3 miles wide by 2 deep, is shallow, has a muddy bottom, which in places becomes visible at extreme low water.
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In 1851, Rev. Gustavus Himes in his Oregon: Its History, Condition and Prospects: also uses "Swan Bay".
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"... The Columbia below the Cascades, and after having swallowed up all its important tributaries, is from one mile to a mile and a half in width, until you reach to within twenty-five miles of the ocean. Here it opens to the width of four or five miles, forming, on the south shore, Swan Bay. In this bay, or rather broad space of the river, are a number of low sandy islands already formed, while others appear to be forming in various places. At the foot of this bay, is Tongue Point, which is a high rocky promontory extending into the river from the south shore. From this point to the high bluff on the north shore, the river is six miles wide.
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Cathlamet Bay in 1889 ...
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From the 1889 U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey's "Coast Pilot":
"Cathlamet Bay. -- This is the broad and rather indefinite area of the south side of the river lying east of Tongue Point, and may be considered to embrace the channel extending directly east of Tongue Point and leading to the Prairie Channel, which lies between the Seal Islands and some unnamed, low, marshy islands nearer Tongue Point. This would extend it four miles directly east. Close around the southern shore of this bay (into which enters John Day's River) there is a very narrow channel carrying about seven or eight feet of water in the shoalest parts towards the eastern mouth.
"
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 7, 1805 ...
Clark, November 8, 1805 ...
Clark, November 26, 1805, first draft ...
Clark, November 26, 1805 ...
Whitehouse, November 26, 1805 ...
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Tuesday Novemr. 26th
A cloudy wet morning, & we set out early.
we proceeded about 1 Mile up the River & then crossed it.
In doing of which we passed through several Islands.
We proceeded on down the South side of the River, & came to an Inhabited Village of Indians. [Knappa, Oregon]
We halted at this place for a short time; ...
We continued on still down the River; the day being wet, cold and very disagreeable.
We encamped in a thicket on the South shore [today the location of the Twilight Eagle Sanctuary]. ...
We saw along the shore, a number of Islands that lay very low & marshy.
The Geese, swan & Ducks are in the greatest plenty at this place, & our Hunters killed a number of them.
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Clark, November 27, 1805 ...
Clark, March 24, 1806 ...
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