Steigerwald Lake

National Wildlife Refuge

Lookout point, with railing, gives a view of large channel of the Columbia River that flows between Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Reef Island, April 13, 2022. USFWS photo: Brent Lawrence

Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge reopened May 1, 2022, after a massive restoration project to reconnect the Columbia River to the historic floodplain.

The 960-acre project included levee deconstruction, fish relocations, the raising of a highway, and the planting of more than 500,000 trees and shrubs at the refuge east of Vancouver, Washington. An extra mile of trail was added to the urban refuge, too.

The two-year project, referred to as the largest habitat restoration project ever on the lower Columbia River, will have a significant impact on migrating salmon and fish.

Photo by USFWS, April 13, 2022
https://flic.kr/p/2nh6jgm

Washington

Established: 1987

1,049 acres

Official Site: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/steigerwald-lake

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steigerwald_Lake_National_Wildlife_Refuge

flikr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwspacific/albums/72157624849463684

USFWS

Located just east of Washougal WA, the refuge is the Western gateway to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

Steigerwald Lake NWR was established in 1987 to offset lowland habitat loss caused by construction at the Bonneville dam. These lands were established to reduce the impact of this loss and provide more habitat for migrating and resident wildlife. Since then smaller pieces of land have been added to create what is now Steigerwald Lake NWR.

Come see the NEW Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge trail system and watch this restored habitat grow up with the community.

https://www.fws.gov/refuge/steigerwald-lake (Accessed: May 18, 2022)

Wikipedia: Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge

The Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a 1,049-acre (4.25 km²; 425 ha) riverine flood plain habitat, semi-permanent wetland on the Columbia River, 10 miles (16 km) east of Vancouver, Washington, with cottonwood-dominated riparian corridors, pastures, and remnant stands of Oregon white oak. The largest wetland restoration project on the lower Columbia River involves removing about 2 miles (3.2 km) of levees separating the refuge from the river to restore 965 acres (391 ha) of floodplain habitat.^[2]

The refuge lies partly within the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area and serves as the operational headquarters for the 329-acre (1.33 km²) Pierce National Wildlife Refuge. It has been designated as the site of the "Gateway to the Gorge" visitor center. This facility is in the planning stage with a portion of its construction funds already secured. The Washington Department of Transportation has estimated that this facility may be used by as many as 100,000 visitors annually, providing the it with one of the best outreach opportunities in the Pacific Northwest.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steigerwald_Lake_National_Wildlife_Refuge (Accessed: May 22, 2022)