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Chamberlain Lake as seen from Washington Highway 14, Washington.
View looking east from moving car.
Image taken June 15, 2013.
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Chamberlain Lake ...
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Chamberlain Lake is on the Washington side of the Columbia and stretches between River Mile (RM) 179 and RM 180. Chamberlain Lake is a backwater lake of the Columbia River, created in 1937 with the filling of the Bonneville Reservoir, the pool behind the Bonneville Dam.
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"When the reservoirs behind the dams filled, they created several small lakes behind the rock rip-rap of the railroad and highway road beds. Most of these little lakes are connected to the big pools by culvert, allowing the fish to enter and leave as they please. ... This 80 acre lake [Chamberlain] is located just west of the town of Lyle ..."
[Bob Johnasen, 2007, "northwestfishingreports.com"]
Downstream of Chamberlain Lake is the Chamberlain Lake Rest Area. Also downstream is Hewett Lake, Major Creek, and Catherine Creek. Upstream is the mouth of the Klickitat River and Lyle, Washington. The mightly basalt cliff of the Rowena Gap, once known as "Cape Horn" lies across from Chamberlain Lake.
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Chamberlain Lake Rest Area ...
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The Chamberlain Lake Rest Area is located off of Washington State Highway 14 downstream of Chamberlain Lake, at Columbia River Mile (RM) 179. The Rest Area offers good views of Rowena Gap and Memaloose Island.
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Early Chamberlain Lake ...
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Chamberlain Lake was named after R.H. Chamberlain, an early land owner.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office (GLO) Records database shows Robert H. Chamberlain being granted title to 80 acres of T3N R12E, Section 21, on April 12, 1913 (1862 Homestead Entry Original). This property lies northwest of Lyle.
The 1934 Klickitat County Map (Metsker Maps, courtesy "HistoricMapWorks.com") shows "R.H. Chaimberlain" property north west of Lyle plus more property on the north side of the SP&S Railway line.
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Early Maps ...
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Map detail, 1934, Columbia River from Major Creek to the Klickitat River, Washington. Map shows the property of "R.H. Chaimberlain", today the location of Chamberlain Lake.
Metsker Maps. Original map courtesy "HistoricMapWorks.com" website, 2017.
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- Chamberlain Lake Railroad Tunnel ...
- Columbia River Basalts ...
- Rowena Gap from Chamberlain Lake ...
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Chamberlain Lake Railroad Tunnel
The Chamberlain Lake Railroad Tunnel, originally built as Tunnel No.9 for the
Spokane, Portland & Seattle Line, (now the BNSF) lies downstream of Chamberlain Lake. Heading east the tracks exit the tunnel and continue over a causeway separating Chamberlain Lake from the Columbia River. The west portal can be viewed from the Chamberlain Lake Rest Area.
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"Woldson's Tunnel", BNSF Railroad Tunnel No.9, at Chamberlain Lake.
West portal of the railroad tunnel at Chamberlain Lake.
View from the Chamberlain Lake Rest Area.
Image taken June 4, 2005.
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Click image to enlarge
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"Woldson's Tunnel", West Portal, BNSF Railroad Tunnel No.9, at Chamberlain Lake.
View from the Chamberlain Lake Rest Area.
Image taken June 4, 2005.
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Columbia River Basalts ...
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Basalts near the Chamberlain Lake Rest Area.
Image taken November 11, 2004.
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Columbia River Basalts near the Chamberlain Lake Rest Area, Washington.
View from Tom McCall Nature Preserve, Oregon.
Image taken March 6, 2010.
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Rowena Gap from Chamberlain Lake Area ...
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Great views of the basalt flows of the Rowena Gap can be seen from the Chamberlain Lake Rest Area, and from the hills at Chamberlain Lake.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, October 29, 1805 ...
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