Click image to enlarge
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Lewis River looking towards mouth.
Looking towards Austin Point (on the right) and the Columbia River.
Industry of St. Helens, Oregon, is in the background.
Image taken March 29, 2007.
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Lewis River ...
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The Lewis River is located on the Washington side of the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 87. The watershed includes two large drainages, the North Fork Lewis and the East Fork Lewis, which converge approximately 3.5 miles upstream of the confluence with the Columbia. A half mile upstream is the Washington city of Woodland. Between Woodland and the Columbia lies the Lewis River Floodplain, also called "Woodland Bottoms".
Along the Columbia River upstream from the Lewis River mouth is the downstream end of Bachelor Island and Lake River, and 33 miles upstream is
Vancouver, Washington.
Thirteen miles downstream of the Lewis River mouth is Kalama, Washington, and the Kalama River.
On the Oregon side of the Columbia River and slightly downstream of the mouth of the Lewis River is the Multnomah Channel and the Oregon community of St. Helens. The Warrior Rock Lighthouse can be seen from the mouth of the Lewis.
The downstream bank at the mouth of the Lewis River is called "Austin Point".
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Lewis and Clark and the Lewis River ...
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Lewis and Clark passed the river on November 5, 1805, but did not make mention of it. Captain Clark wrote in his journal:
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"... passed an Isld. Covered with tall trees & green briers Seperated from the Stard. Shore by a narrow Chanel at 9 miles ..."
[Clark, November 5, 1805]
The island is Bachelor Island, which the Corp entered as "Green Bryor I." on their draft map. Moulton (1990, Vol.6) suggests the "narrow Chanel" could be the mouth of the Lewis River, however on both the draft map [Moulton, vol.1, map#89] and the route map [map#79] the downstream tip of Bachelor Island and the Lewis River are quite a distance apart, with today's Lake River/Bachelor Island Slough shown behind the island.
On the Corps return in March 1806, Lewis and Clark are informed of the Lewis River when they were camped on Deer Island.
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"... Since we landed here we were visited by a large canoe with ten natives of the quathlahpahtle nation who are numerous and reside about seventeen miles above us on the lard. side of the Columbia, at the entrance of a small river."
[Lewis, March 28, 1806]
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"... we were visited by a large Canoe with ten nativs of the Quathlahpohtle nation who are numerous and reside about fourteen Miles above us on the N E. Side of the Columbia above the Enterance of a Small river which the Indians call Chah-wah-na-hi-ooks."
[Clark, March 28, 1806]
The next morning, on March 29, 1806, the men set off upstream. They pass a "large inlet" on the south (today's Multnomah Channel), and the Lewis River on the north.
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"... after breakfast we proceeded on and at the distance of 14 miles from our encampment of the last evening we passed a large inlet 300 yds in width. this inlet or arm of the river extends itself to the South 10 or 12 M. to the hills on that side of the river ... on the North side of the columbia a little above the entrance of this inlet a considerable river discharges itself. this stream the natives call the Cah-wah-na-hi-ooks. it is 150 yards wide and at present discharges a large body of water, tho' from the information of the same people it is not navigable but a short distance in consequence of falls and rappids a tribe called the Hull-lu-et-tell reside on this river above it's entr. -- at the distance of three miles above the entrance of the inlet on the N. side behind the lower point of an island we arrived at the village of the Cath-lah-poh-tle wich consists of 14 large wooden houses."
[Lewis, March 29, 1806]
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"... we proceeded on to the lower point of the Said island accompanied by the 3 Indians, & were met by 2 canoes of nativs of the quath-lah-pah-tal who informed us that the chanel to the N E of the Island was the proper one. we prosued their advice and Crossed into the mouth of the Chah-wah-na-hi-ooks River which is about 200 yards wide and a great portion of water into the columbia at this time it being high. The indians inform us that this river is crouded with rapids after Some distance up it. Several tribes of the Hul-lu-et-tell Nation reside on this river. at 3 oClock P.M. we arived at the Quath lah pah tle Village of 14 Houses on main Shore to the N E. Side of a large island."
[Clark, March 29, 1806]
The "Quath lah pah tle" Village was located within today's Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Lewis and Clark spent the night of March 29 near the village.
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Lewis River Watershed ...
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According to the Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority website (2004), the Lewis River watershed is approximately 93 miles long, has a total fall of approximately 12,000 feet, and drains an area of about 1,050 square miles. The headwaters arise on the southern flanks of
Mount St. Helens and
Mount Adams. Mount Adams is the highest peak in the basin at 12,307 feet, and Mount St. Helens is an active volcano.
The majority of the Lewis River basin is forested, with an area of approximately 30 square miles of upper basin denuded by the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.
The major tributaries within the Lewis River system below Merwin Dam (RM 19.5) include the East Fork Lewis River, Johnson Creek, and Cedar Creek.
The Lewis River drainage system is the result of geologic uplifting, volcanoes, and river flooding.
The bedrock surrounding the three reservoirs is predominately younger Eocene to older Oligocene volcanic lava flows Oligocene volcaniclastic rocks, and Quaternary volcaniclastic deposits. The volcanic rocks have undergone regional compressional deformation with rock strata being folded by a major southeast plunging anticline and a southeast plunging syncline.
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Click image to enlarge
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Recreation, North Fork Lewis River.
Image taken July 4, 2005.
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Early Lewis River ...
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In 1792 Lieutenant Broughton of the Captain George Vancouver Expedition passed by the Lewis River on October 28, 1792, and named the Lewis River "Rushleigh's River".
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"...
At point Warrior the river is divided into three branches; the middle one was the largest, about a quarter of a mile wide, and was considered as the main brach; the next most capacious took an easterly directions, and seemed extensive, to this the name of Rushleigh's River was given; and the other that stretched to the S. S. W. was distinguished by the name of Call's River.
..."
[Vancouver, October 28, 1792]
Warrior Point is the downstream tip of Sauvie Island and the "river" mentioned is the Columbia River. The three branches are "Call's River", today's Multnomah Channel, the Columbia, and "Rushleigh's River", today's Lewis River.
Lewis and Clark passed the Lewis River on November 5, 1805, but did not make mention of it. On their return in March 1806 the Indians inform the men of the river which they call the Chah-wah-na-hi-ooks (see information presented above).
When the artist Paul Kane wrote about the Lewis River on March 26, 1847, he called the river the "Kattlepoutal River".
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"... When we arrived at the mouth of the Kattlepoutal River, twenty-six miles from Fort Vancouver, I stopped to make a sketch of the volcano, Mount St. Helens's, distant, I suppose,
about thirty or forty miles.
[Paul Kane, 1859, "Wanderings of an Artist among the Indians of North America", London]
In 1853 the railroad mapped the North Fork Lewis River as "Cathlapootle River".
Another early name for the Lewis River was the "Washington River".
An 1854 Washington Territory cadastral survey (tax survey) for T4N R1W has the Lewis River labelled the "Catapoodle R.". The State of Oregon cadastral survey for the same year has the Lewis as the "Cadapoodle River". Washington Territory's 1862 cadastral survey matches Oregon with the Lewis River being the "Cadapoodle River".
An article in the "Pioneer and Democrat" newspaper (August 5, 1854, p.3) called the Lewis River the "Cathlapoodle River".
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"... Gold on Cathlapoodle River. --- We learn from Mr. Huff, that vaulable
mines have been discovered on the Cathlapoodle river, some 30 or 40 miles
above its mouth. Large quantities of gold, silver, and rich iron ore,
have been found on this river. The Cathlapoodle takes its rise at Mt. St.
Helens, and empties into the Columbia at the lower end of Sauvie's Island.
It is also reported that there are rich mines in the vicinity of Mt. St.
Helens.-- Times
The 1855 Railroad Survey Map conducted by Isaac Stevens shows the Lewis River as "Cath la pootle R." and today's East Fork Lewis River as "Yah kotl Riv.".
In 1866 Lincoln, one of the first settlements along the Lewis River, was founded. This small trading post and post office were located at the mouth of Lockwood Creek, named after Reuben Lockwood who settled the area.
In 1881 Woodland was established on the Lewis River four miles upstream of its confluence with the Columbia.
The 1881 U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey's Chart No.5, "Kalama to Fales Landing", lists the Lewis as the "Lewis River".
In 1929 the U.S. Board of Geographic Names made official the name "Lewis River".
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Early Maps ...
Click image to enlarge
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Map detail, 1855, McClellan's 1854 route along the Lower Klickitat Trail.
Original map from Isaac Stevens' "Reports of Explorations and Surveys ...", 1855, Map No.3, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, courtesy Washington State University Digital Colletions, 2018.
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"Mankas", "Yahkotl", "Chalacha", "Spilyeh", "Lakas", and the "Ca-la-ma R." (Kalama River), "Cath-la-pootle R." (Lewis River), and "Yah kotl Riv." (East Fork Lewis River).
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Adolphus Lee Lewis (Lewes) ...
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The Lewis River was NOT named after Captain Meriwhether Lewis of the 1805-1806 Lewis and Clark Expedition. The Lewis River was named after Adolphus Lee Lewis, or "Lewes", who, in 1845, took a donation land claim on the river's west bank. Adolphus Lee Lewis was the county surveyor in 1856, which may have had bearing on the naming of the Lewis River, Lewis River Valley, and Lewisville, a community located near a ford on the East Fork of the Lewis River, the location of today's Lewisville Park.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office (GLO) Records database (2011) shows a listing for the Heirs of Adolphus Lee Lewes, on December 22, 1865, being granted title to 322.42 acres of T5N R1E, section 30, and T5N R1W, sections 24 and 25, under the 1850 Oregon-Donation Act.
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management's General Land Office (GLO) Records database (2011) shows a listing for Adolphus Lee Lewes, on February 8, 1892, being granted title to 35.75 acres of T5N R1E, section 18, under the 1820 Sale-Cash Entry.
The GLO website also shows a Milly W. Lewes being granted title on July 2, 1866, to 80 acres of T5N R1W, Section 35 (1820 Sale-Cash Entry), and 40 acres of T5N R1W, also in Section 35 (1820 Sale-Cash Entry).
An 1863 cadastral map (tax map) for T5N R1E, shows an area of Section 30 claimed by "A.L. Lewis". The 1864 cadastral map for T5N R1W, shows an area of Section 25 claimed by "A. Lee Lewis".
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Missoula Floods ...
The Washington community of Woodland is located on the Lewis River floodplain, an area once inundated by the massive floodwaters of the Missoula Floods. The Lewis River and its tributary the East Fork Lewis River cut their channels into Missoula Flood deposits.
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QUATERNARY DEPOSITS.
Alluvial Deposits:
"During glacial maxima, sea level was as much as 400 feet (120 meters) lower than at present. The Columbia River in response deeply incised its bed, flowing through a narrow valley about two kilometers west of the map area (Ridgefield Quad). The Lewis and East Fork Lewis Rivers presumably also adjusted to lower base level at these times. Late in the last glacial period, huge glacier-outburst floods from Glacial Lake Missoula coursed down the Columbia River valley and hydraulically ponded in the Portland Basin; silt and fine sand that settled out of this temporary lake now cover much of the map area. As sea level rose during the late Pleistocene and Holocene, the late Pleistocene valleys gradually filled with sediment."
Cataclysmic-flood deposits:
"During the last glacial maximum in late Pleistocene time, an ice dam impounded Glacial Lake Missoula in western Montana. The dam failed repeatedly, releasing floods that coursed down the Columbia River and into the Portland Basin. The sediment-laden floodwaters were hydraulically constricted by the narrow reach of the Columbia River valley north of (downstream from) the Ridgefield quadrangle. The constriction caused temporary ponding in the Portland Basin and tribuatry valleys to levels as high as 400 feet (120 meters). Radiocarbon ages, paleomagnetic measurements, and tephrochronologic data indicate that the last glacial episode of floods occurred chiefly between about 17,000 and 13,000 14C years B.P. Similar episodes of cataclysmic flooding probably occurred earlier in the Quaternary.
During each flood, the suspended load of fine sand and silt settled out of the temporarily ponded floodwaters. In the northern Portland Basin, multiple floods collectively built up deposits of laminated micaceous sediments as thick as 100 feet (30 meters). These slack-water deposits (Qfs), which grade almost imperceptively northward from fine sand to silt, now mantle the entire surface of the Ridgefield quadrangle south of the East Fork Lewis River. Partly eroded flood deposits lie north of the river between 200 and 300 feet (60 and 75 meters) elevation, and local unmapped patches of micaceous silt are found at elevations up to 400 feet (120 meters)."
Late Pleistocene and Holocene alluvial deposits:
"Remnants of a terrace with surface elevations of 110 to 140 feet (33 to 43 meters) lie along the south bank of the Lewis River directly downstream from its confluence with the East Fork Lewis River. The terrace deposits (Qtd) consist of unconsolidated, poorly sorted sandy pebble gravel and lithic sand overlain by micaceous silt of Missoula-floods origin (Qfs). Terrace-gravel clasts are chiefly Tertiary volcanic rocks eroded from the Cascade Range, indicating that the terrace sediment was carried by the Lewis River rather than the Columbia."
Source:
R.C. Evarts, 2004, "Geologic Map of the Ridgefield Quadrangle, Clark and Cowlitz Counties, Washington", USGS Scientific Investications Map 2844.
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[More]
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Geologic Map detail, Lewis River upstream from Woodland, Washington.
Original map: R.C. Evarts, 2004, Geological Map of the Woodland Quadrangle, Clark and Cowlitz Counties, Washington,
U.S. Geologic Survey Scientific Investigations Map 2827.
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Geologic Map detail, East Fork Lewis River upstream from merging with the Lewis River, Woodland, Washington.
Original map: R.C. Evarts, 2004, Geological Map of the Ridgefield Quadrangle, Clark and Cowlitz Counties, Washington,
U.S. Geologic Survey Scientific Investigations Map 2844.
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Scenics ...
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Scenic, Lewis River, left bank, at Railroad Bridge, Woodland, Washington.
Image taken October 14, 2007.
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Scenic, Lewis River left bank, Woodland, Washington.
Image taken March 29, 2007.
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Scenic, Lewis River near its confluence with the Columbia River.
Image taken December 5, 2012.
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Reflections, Lewis River near its confluence with the Columbia River.
Image taken December 5, 2012.
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- Lewis River Mile (RM) 0 ... Austin Point ...
- RM 1 ... Lewis River Floodplain ...
- RM 1.5 ... Along the Dike Road ...
- RM 2 ... Lewis River Railroad Bridge ...
- RM 3.5 ... East Fork Lewis River ...
- RM 3.5 ... Mainstem Lewis River (North Fork Lewis River) ...
- RM 5.5 ... Interstate 5 ...
- RM 6 ... Horseshoe Lake ...
- RM 6.5 ... Woodland ...
- Lewis River Road ...
- RM 15.5 ... Cedar Creek ...
- Cedar Creek Grist Mill ...
- RM 15.5 ... Lewis River Hatchery ...
- RM 19 ... Ariel ...
- RM 19.5 ... Merwin Dam ...
- RM 19.5 ... Lake Merwin ...
- RM 19.5 ... Merwin Park ...
- RM 29 ... Speelyai Park, Speelyai Bay (Speelyai Creek) ...
- RM 29 ... State Fish Hatchery ...
- RM 32 ... Yale Bridge ...
- RM 33 ... Canyon Creek ...
- RM 34 ... Saddle Dam ...
- RM 34 ... Yale Dam ...
- RM 34 ... Yale Lake ...
- RM 37.5 ... Speelyai Canal ...
- RM 40 ... Yale Park ...
- RM 41 ... Merrill Lake turnoff ...
- RM 42 ... Cougar ...
- RM 43.5 ... Beaver Bay ...
- RM 44 ... Substation and Power Canal ...
- RM 48 ... Swift Dam ...
- RM 48 ... Swift Reservoir ...
- RM 48 ... Swift Creek ...
- RM 48 ... Ape Cave turnoff ...
- RM 48 to RM 59 ... Forest Road 90 (NF-90) ...
- RM 59 to sites north ... Forest Road 25 (NF-25) ...
- RM 51 ... Marble Creek ...
- RM 55 ... Camp Creek ...
- RM 59 ... Eagle Cliffs ...
- RM 59.5 ... Pine Creek Boulder Interpretive Site ...
- RM 59.5 ... Pine Creek ...
- RM 60 ... Muddy River ...
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RM 0 ... Austin Point ...
Austin Point is located on the Washington side of the Columbia River at River Mile (RM) 87.5. Austin Point is the downstream bank (right bank) of the Lewis River.
[More]
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RM 1 ... Lewis River Floodplain ...
The Lewis River Floodplain extends five miles along the Washington shore, from the mouth of the Lewis River at Columbia River Mile (RM) 87.5, to downstream Burke and Martin Islands, at RM 82.5. The community of Woodland lies along the right bank of the Lewis River where the Lewis leaves the Cascade foothills and the floodplain begins.
[More]
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Lewis River Floodplain.
Image taken March 4, 2007.
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Tulip field, Lewis River Floodplain.
Image taken April 22, 2007.
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RM 1.5 ... Along the Dike Road ...
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Right bank along the Dike Road.
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Lewis River looking downstream towards Austin Point.
Image taken March 29, 2007.
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Lewis River looking upstream towards BNSF Railroad Bridge.
Image taken March 20, 2013.
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RM 2 ... Lewis River Railroad Bridge ...
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Railroad Bridge crossing the Lewis River.
View is from the Lewis River's right bank, just upstream from its confluence with the Columbia River.
Image taken August 29, 2004.
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Railroad Bridge crossing the Lewis River.
View is from the Lewis River's right bank, just upstream from its confluence with the Columbia River.
Image taken August 29, 2004.
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Lewis River railroad bridge, Lewis River Floodplain.
Image taken October 14, 2007.
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Lewis River railroad bridge, Lewis River Floodplain.
Image taken October 14, 2007.
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RM 3.5 ... East Fork Lewis River
The East Fork Lewis River has its headwaters near Green Lookout Mountain, and enters the mainstem Lewis at River Mile (RM) 3.5. Washington State's Paradise Point State Park is located at RM 1, Daybreak Park at RM 10, Lewisville Park, the first regional park in Clark County, is located at RM 15, and Lucia Falls is located at RM 21.3.
[More]
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East Fork Lewis River, from Paradise Point State Park.
Image taken May 30, 2006.
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RM 3.5 ... Mainstem Lewis River (North Fork Lewis River ) ...
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The mainstem of the Lewis River is also known as the North Fork Lewis River. It flows southwesterly from its source at Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams through three reservoirs (Swift Reservoir at River Mile (RM) 47.9, Yale Reservoir at RM 34.2, and Merwin Lake at RM 19.5) and then forms a canyon to the confluence of Cedar Creek at RM 15.7.
The lower 12 miles of the mainstem Lewis flows through a wide flat valley, much of which is under cultivation and protected from flooding by dikes. The lower 11 miles are a tidally influenced backwater of the Columbia River. Within this area, the flow is sluggish and the sediments are generally composed of sand, silts, and clays typical of lower floodplains. The East Fork of the Lewis River merges with the North Fork at RM 3.5 to form the Lewis.
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North Fork Lewis River at Cedar Creek, looking downstream.
Image taken July 4, 2005.
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Kayaks, North Fork Lewis River at Cedar Creek.
Image taken July 4, 2005.
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RM 5.5 ... Interstate 5 ...
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Interstate 5 first crosses the East Fork Lewis River and 1.6 miles later it crosses the mainstem Lewis River (North Fork Lewis River) at Lewis River's RM 5.5.
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Interstate 5 approaching the Lewis River drainage, near Woodland, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2011.
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Interstate 5 crossing the East Fork Lewis River, near Woodland, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2011.
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Interstate 5 crossing the mainstem Lewis River (North Fork Lewis River), near Woodland, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2011.
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Interstate 5 bridge across the Lewis River, heading north.
Image taken December 2, 2006.
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RM 6 ... Horseshoe Lake ...
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Horseshoe Lake is a man-made cutoff meander of the Lewis River. In 1940 the 90-acre horseshoe-shaped lake was created with construction of U.S. Highway 99.
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Horseshoe Lake, Woodland, Washington.
Image taken April 27, 2005.
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Fisherman, Horseshoe Lake, Woodland, Washington.
Image taken April 27, 2005.
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RM 6.5 ... Woodland ...
Woodland, Washington, is located on the Lewis River at Lewis River Mile (RM) 6.5, upstream from the Lewis River's junction with the Columbia River at RM 82.
A broad floodplain lies between the community and the Columbia River. Woodland is famous for its lilacs, daffodils, and tulip fields.
[More]
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Sign, "Welcome to Woodland", Woodland, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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Tulip field, Woodland, Washington.
Image taken April 22, 2007.
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Tulip show field, Lewis River Floodplain.
Image taken April 13, 2013.
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Lewis River Road ...
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"Rooster Brew", Lewis River Road, Clark County, Washington.
Image taken October 4, 2018.
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"Corner Store", Lewis River Road, Clark County, Washington.
Image taken October 4, 2018.
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Heading east, Lewis River Road, Clark County, Washington.
Image taken October 4, 2018.
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RM 15.5 ... Cedar Creek ...
Cedar Creek flows north and enters the mainstem Lewis River (North Fork Lewis River) at RM 15.5, just opposite of the Lewis River State Fish Hatchery.
The Cedar Creek Grist Mill is located just upstream of the Cedar River's confluence with the mainstem Lewis River. The grist mill was built in 1876 and is still operational.
The mill was listed on the Clark County Heritage Register in 1986 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 (Building - #75001844).
[More]
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Cedar Creek at mouth, looking downstream towards the Lewis River.
Image taken July 4, 2005.
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Cedar Creek Grist Mill near Woodland, Washington.
Image taken July 4, 2005.
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RM 15.5 ... Lewis River Hatchery ...
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Sign, Lewis River Hatchery, Woodland, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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Lewis River Hatchery, Woodland, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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RM 19 ... Ariel ...
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According to "Names in Clark County" ("The Columbian", 2014):
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"Ariel:
The site of the annual D.B. Cooper festival, this community on the road to Lake Merwin Park was named for the first born son of the postmaster, Leander Chitty."
[D.B. Cooper]
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Sign, Ariel Store, "Home of ... D.B. Cooper Days", Ariel, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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Ariel Store, Ariel, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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Ariel Store (with sun glare), Ariel, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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Ariel Store, Ariel, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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Ariel Store, Ariel, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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RM 19.5 ... Merwin Dam ...
"Placed in service in 1931, the Merwin project has a generating capacity of 136 mw. The dam associated with this plant is a 313-foot high concrete arch type. It creates Merwin Lake, a 4,040-acre impoundment popular with a wide variety of recreationists."
Source:
PacifiCorp website, 2018, "Lewis River".
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RM 19.5 ... Lake Merwin ...
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Lake Merwin (also called Merwin Reservoir) is a 4,040-acre reservoir behind Merwin Dam, located 19 miles upstream on the North Fork Lewis River. Merwin Dam is the lower of three dams belonging to the Pacific Corps' "Lewis River Hydroelectric Project". The dams were constructed between 1931 and 1959 and generate 510 megawatts of energy (2011). Three recreational sites are located on Lake Merwin. Merwin Park, Speelyai Park, and Cresap Bay Park have a combined 177 picnic tables, 78 campsites, and two boat launch docks (2011). Merwin Dam was placed in service in 1931 and generates 136 megawatts. It is a 313-foot high concrete arch dam.
According to "Place Names in Washington" (Hitchman, 1985):
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"Lake Merwin:
A 12-1/2 miles east of Kalama, in North Fork, Lewis River, southeast Cowlitz County. It was created by Northwestern Electric Company when Ariel Dam was built. The lake was named by H.J. Campbell, publisher of Vancouver Columbian, for L.T. Merwin of Northwestern Electric Company. An earlier name was Yale Lake."
According to "Names in Clark County" ("The Columbian", 2014):
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"Merwin Lake:
The dam on the Lewis River was finished in 1931. Without ceremony, on May 13, the gates were closed and water began to fill the lake. Since the dam was north of the town of Ariel, in Cowlitz County, the dam and the lake that formed behind it were called “Ariel.” On May 1, 1948, in a simple ceremony, the name was changed to “Merwin” for L.T. Merwin, the vice-president of the Pacific Power and Light company, which owns the dam."
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RM 19.5 ... Merwin Park ...
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Sign, Merwin Park, Lake Merwin, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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Lake Merwin as seen from Merwin Park, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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Lake Merwin as seen from Merwin Park, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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Merwin Park, Lake Merwin, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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Lake Merwin as seen from Merwin Park, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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Lake Merwin as seen from Merwin Park, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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RM 29 ... Speelyai Park, Speelyai Bay (Speelyai Creek) ...
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Speelyai Bay, Washington.
Image taken August 29, 2018.
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Speelyai Bay, Washington.
Image taken August 29, 2018.
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RM 29 ... State Fish Hatchery ...
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Sign, Speelyai Hatchery, Lewis River, Washington.
Image taken August 29, 2018.
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Speelyai Hatchery, Lewis River, Washington.
Image taken August 29, 2018.
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Speelyai Hatchery, Lewis River, Washington.
Image taken August 29, 2018.
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Speelyai Hatchery, Lewis River, Washington.
Image taken August 29, 2018.
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RM 32 ... Yale Bridge ...
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The Yale Bridge, also known as the "Lewis River Bridge" and the "Washington Highway 503 Bridge", was first built in 1932 by the combined counties of Clark and Cowlitz, and is the only steel short-span suspension bridge in Washington. The bridge was rebuilt in 1957 and 1958. In 1982 the bridge was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Engineering/Transportation #82004206).
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"In 1932, Clark and Cowlitz County jointly constructed a short-spanned steel suspension bridge across the Lewis River to replace a steel truss that had been demolished as a result of the construction of the Ariel Dam. Because the backwater from the dam created a depth of 90 feet at the bridge site, it made it unusually difficult to build falsework, a prerequisite for the construction of the traditional type of highway bridge. Consequently, it was necessary to turn to other, less conventional solutions to forge the river.
Originally, a 532 foot struction was built which consisted of a 300 foot steel truss span supported by 2 7/8 inch galvanized steel cables suspended from two 332 foot steel towers. The 17 foot roadway is carried 50 feet above high water. ... In 1957 five 30 foot steel beam approach spans were added. ...
The bridge was designed by Harold H. Gilbert, and was built by the Gilpin Construction Company of Portland, Oregon.
Although there are numerous examples of timber suspension bridges throughout the State, the Yale Bridge is the only example of a short-span steel suspension bridge. The visual impact of the form of the parabolic curve of the cable stretching between two towers, has an unrelenting, universal appeal. However, the short-span steel suspension bridge has remained rare, because cost factors have prevented it from competing with simple steel trusses, cantilevers, or arches for ordinary highway structures."
Source:
U.S. National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form, 1982.
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Yale Bridge (Highway 503), looking south, crossing the Lewis River, Washington.
Image taken November 8, 2014.
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Yale Bridge (Highway 503), looking south, crossing the Lewis River, Washington.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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Yale Bridge (Highway 503), looking south, crossing the Lewis River, Washington.
Image taken October 4, 2018.
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Yale Bridge (Highway 503), looking south, crossing the Lewis River, Washington.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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RM 33 ... Canyon Creek ...
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Canyon Creek merges with the Lewis River at RM 33. The 19-mile-long creek heads at ZigZag Lake, southeast of Green Lookout Mountain, and basically flows northwest until merging with the mainstem Lewis. At Canyon Creek RM 2, lies Tumtum Mountain, an eroded conical lava dome.
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Tumtum Mountain, Washington.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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RM 34 ... Saddle Dam ...
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The Saddle Dam Park is a day-use site with restrooms, fishing access, and a boat launch.
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RM 34 ... Yale Dam ...
Yale Dam is a 323-foot high earthfill embankment dam which was completed in 1953.
"The Yale project was completed in 1953. It features a 3,780-acre reservoir (locally known as Yale Lake, it also is a popular recreation site) and a main earthfill embankment dam that is 323 feet high. The two turbines in the Yale powerhouse were recently upgraded to a combined rated capacity of 134 mw."
Source:
PacifiCorp website, 2018, "Lewis River".
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RM 34 ... Yale Lake ...
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Yale Lake (also called Yale Reservoir) is a 3,780-acre reservoir behind Yale Dam and is located on the North Fork Lewis River, 34 miles upstream of its confluence with the Columbia River. Yale Lake has four recreational parks (Saddle Dam, Yale Park, Cougar Park and Campground, and Beaver Bay Camp) with a combined 45 picnic tables, 118 campsites, and four boat launch docks (2011).
According to "Place Names in Washington" (Hitchman, 1985):
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"Yale:
Small community 1-1/2 miles north of Lake Merwin's east end, southeast Cowlitz County. The short name was selected by postal officials. An earlier name was SPeillei, for nearby Spillei Creek."
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Yale Lake as seen from the road to Merrill Lake, Washington.
Image taken July 1, 2015.
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RM 37.5 ... Speelyai Canal ...
RM 40 ... Yale Park ...
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Yale Park, located along Yale Lake (Lewis River) is located within the 1902 Yacolt Burn area.
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Sign, Yale Park, Yale Lake, Washington.
Image taken October 4, 2018.
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Yale Lake, Yale Park Recreation Area, Washington.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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Yale Park, Yale Lake, Washington.
Image taken October 4, 2018.
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Yale Lake and Mount St. Helens, as seen from Yale Park Recreation Area, Washington.
Mount St. Helens is at skyline.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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Picnic at Yale Lake, as seen from Yale Park Recreation Area, Washington.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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RM 41 ... Merrill Lake turnoff ...
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Merrill Lake, Washington.
Image taken July 1, 2015.
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Merrill Lake, Washington.
Image taken July 1, 2015.
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RM 42 ... Cougar ...
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"Welcome to Cougar", Washington.
Image taken October 4, 2018.
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Sasquatch, Cougar, Washington.
Image taken July 1, 2015.
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RM 43.5 ... Beaver Bay ...
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Yale Lake, Beaver Bay Recreation Area, Washington.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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Yale Lake, looking east, as seen from Beaver Bay Recreation Area, Washington.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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Yale Lake, looking west, as seen from Beaver Bay Recreation Area, Washington.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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Beaver Bay boat launch, Yale Lake, Washington.
The Beaver Bay Recreation Area is located just below the Swift Dam.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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"High Water Hazard Zone" sign, Yale Lake, as seen from Beaver Bay Recreation Area, Washington.
The Beaver Bay Recreation Area is located just below the Swift Dam.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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RM 44 ... Substation and Power Canal ...
Swift Dam, a 512-foot high earthfill dam, was built in 1958. It is one of the highest earthfilled dams in the world. Two hydroelectric facilites are associated with the dam. Swift No.1 is located at the dam, with the 3-plus-mile-long Swift Power Canal connecting it to Swift No.2, where the water is then returned to Yale Lake.
"At 240 mw, Swift No. 1 is PacifiCorp’s largest hydroelectric facility. When initially built in 1958, the 512-foot Swift Dam was one of the highest earthfill dams in the world. The Swift Reservoir is 4,600 acres and similarly provides a variety of fishing, camping, swimming and other recreation. The discharge of Swift No. 1 enters a canal that transports the water through the 70 mw Swift No. 2 project owned by Cowlitz County PUD No. 1 before it is returned to the upper end of Yale Reservoir."
Source:
PacifiCorp website, 2018, "Lewis River".
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Swift Dam Power Canal, Washington, looking upstream.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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Washington Highway 503 at Swift Powerhouse No.2, Washington.
Embankment on the right holds back the waters of the Swift Power Canal, connecting Swift No.1 with Swift No.2. View looking west.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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RM 48 ... Swift Dam ...
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Swift Dam was built in 1958. It is a 512-foot high earthfill dam, making it one of the highest earthfilled dams in the world.
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Swift Dam, Washington.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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RM 48 ... Swift Reservoir ...
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Swift Reservoir is the reservoir behind Swift Dam and is located on the North Fork Lewis River, 42 miles upstream from its confluence with the Columbia River. There are two recreational areas on Swift Reservoir (Swift Forest Camp and Eagle Cliff Park) with a combined 11 picnic tables, 93 campsites, and one boat launch (2011).
According to "Place Names in Washington" (Hitchman, 1985):
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"Swift Reservoir:
An artificial reservoir, 4,588.8 acres, maximum depth 380 ft., on the North Fork, Lewis River, 28-1/2 miles northeast of Woodland, west central Skamania County. It was named for Swift Creek which enters the river here, by Puget Sound Power & Light Company when that corporation created the reservoir."
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Swift Reservoir (Lewis River), Washington.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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RM 48 ... Swift Creek ...
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Swift Creek/Swift Reservoir, Washington.
Bay pictured is backwater of the Swift Reservoir into Swift Creek.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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Swift Creek/Swift Reservoir, Washington.
Bay pictured is backwater of the Swift Reservoir into Swift Creek.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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RM 48 ... Ape Cave turnoff ...
Ape Cave, at 13,042 feet long (nearly 2.5 miles), is the third longest lava tube in North America.
It hosts a year-round temperature of 42°F. The lava tube was formed 1,900 years ago by an unusual basaltic eruption of Mount St. Helens volcano.
Ape Cave is located approximately six miles northeast of the small Washington community of Cougar.
[More]
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Sign, Ape Cave, Washington.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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Stairs, Ape Cave, Washington.
Image taken September 4, 2014.
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RM 48 to RM 59 ... Forest Road 90 (NF-90) ...
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Swift Dam to the Eagle Cliffs, and east.
According the the U.S. Forest Service website (2019),
Forest Road 90 is a designated Federal Forest Highway and accesses residences along Swift Reservoir and beyond. It is the main east-west artery in the center on the Gifford Pinchot. At Eagle Cliffs, as Forest Road 90 heads east, Forest Road 25 branches north, proceeding to the Washington community of Randle.
Forest Road 90 is plowed to Pine Creek in winter and is passable the rest of the way as snow melts in late spring and early summer.
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Scenic, NF-90, Swift Reservoir (Lewis River), Washington.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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Scenic, NF-90, Swift Reservoir (Lewis River), Washington.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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RM 59 and north ... Forest Road 25 (NF-25) ...
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Eagle Cliffs, Pine Creek, Muddy River, and sites north.
According the the U.S. Forest Service website (2019), Forest Road 25
provides some of the best scenery, and runs north from Forest Road 90 (at the east end of Swift Reservoir), ending at the Cowlitz Valley Ranger Station in Randle. Forest Roads 25, 26 and 99 lead to sites on the east side of Mount St. Helens.
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RM 51 ... Marble Creek ...
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Marble Creek drainage, looking south towards Swift Reservoir, Washington.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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RM 55 ... Camp Creek ...
RM 59 ... Eagle Cliffs ...
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Sign, Lewis River at Eagle Cliffs, Eagle Cliff Park, Washington.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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Lewis River at Eagle Cliffs, looking upstream, Washington.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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Lewis River Eagle Cliffs, Washington.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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Coho dump, Lewis River at Eagle Cliffs, looking upstream, Washington.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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NF-90 Bridge, Lewis River at Eagle Cliffs, Washington.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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RM 59.5 ... Pine Creek Boulder Interpretive Site ...
"PINE CREEK BOULDER:
Adjacent to the small turnout on the west side of the Pine Creek bridge is a 37-ton boulder that was deposited in the old roadway 33 ft (10 m) above the creek by the May 18, 1980, lahar. This lahar was generated by the pyroclastic surge that descended the east slope of Mount St. Helens and swept across Muddy fan. Older material in the pit on the east side of the bridge and visible upstream in the northeast bank of Pine Creek is composed of pyroclastic-flow and lahar deposits of the Pine Creek eruptive period (3,000-2,500 yr B.P.). ..."
Source:
Patrick T. Pringle, 1993, "Roadside Geology of Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument and Vicinity", Washington Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Earth Resources Information Circular 88 (Revised Edition 2002).
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Sign, Pine Creek Boulder, Washington.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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Pine Creek Boulder, Washington.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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Pine Creek Boulder, Washington.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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RM 59.5 ... Pine Creek ...
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Pine Creek merges with the Lewis River at Lewis River Mile (RM) 59.5. Pine Creek was affected by the May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens.
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Pine Creek looking upstream, Washington.
View from NF-25 bridge crossing Pine Creek, approximately 500 feet from Pine Creek's confluence with the Lewis River.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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Pine Creek looking downstream, Washington.
View from NF-25 bridge crossing Pine Creek, approximately 500 feet from Pine Creek's confluence with the Lewis River.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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RM 60 ... Muddy River ...
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The Muddy River merges with the Lewis River at Lewis River Mile (RM) 60.
The Muddy River was affected by the May 18, 1980, eruption of Mount St. Helens.
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Muddy River, looking upstream, Washington.
View from NF-25 Bridge, at Muddy River Mile (RM) 5.5.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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Muddy River, looking downstream, Washington.
View from NF-25 Bridge, at Muddy River Mile (RM) 5.5.
Image taken October 17, 2018.
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Clark, November 5, 1805 ...
Clark, March 28, 1806 ...
Clark, March 29, 1806 ...
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