VANCOUVER LAKE

'Vancouver Lake' is a large lake just west of Vancouver, Washington, United States, north of the Columbia River and Portland, Oregon), south of Ridgefield, Washington and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge.
The lake is very shallow, with a maximum depth of 10 ft.^[1] There is an island in the northern half of the lake. The island was formed from toxic sludge (that later got cleaned) poured into the lake. Lake River flows out of the lake to the north and into the Columbia River near Ridgefield, Washington.
The source for Vancouver Lake's water is Burnt Bridge Creek, which winds about ten miles through many of the city's residential areas. Until the 1980s this creek was neglected and a major source of pollution for the lake.
Lower River Road leads west out of Vancouver to a park on the shore of Vancouver Lake which includes a large swimming area.
A trail leads to Frenchman's Bar Park on the nearby Columbia River.

Contents

Natural History

History

References

External links

Natural History

Vancouver Lake is home to a variety of wildlife species, many of which it shares with the nearby Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Descriptions from the late 1800's describe Vancouver Lake as clear, up to twenty feet deep and containing sturgeon. Current fish populations are dominated almost entirely by carp, but the rich fringe environments provide habitat for amphibians such as tree frogs, reptiles such as garter snakes and a wide variety of birds, including large species such as great blue herons, osprey and bald eagles. It is within the Pacific Flyway. Large mammals on its banks include raccoons, a few black-tailed deer and an occasional coyote.

History

Shortly after the lake was deeded to the Port of Vancouver in 1919, agricultural interests proposed draining it, but by the end of the 1920's, recreational uses were also considered. The lake was briefly considered as a decommisioning harbor in 1945, but after the Memorial Day flood of 1948 was also seen as a possible resource in flood control.
Suburbanization of its watershed area led to an increase in water pollution. Surface runoff brought increased sediment while residential drain fields and increased use of fertilizers rich in nitrogen and phosphorus contributed to eutrophication. DDT was also used for mosquito control until its effects on fish and birds became apparent, and the county discontinued it.
Since then there have been various interests in the area as it relates to habitat preservation, recreation and industry, culminating in the "Habitek" plan of the mid-1980's and the multi-agency Burnt Bridge Creek Watershed Plan of 1995. Algal bloom has been an intermittent problem for recreational use of the lake since 2003, since cyanobacteria such as ''Anabaena'', ''Microcystis aeruginosa'' and ''Cylindrospermopsin raciborskii'' may produce neurotoxins such as cylindrospermopsin.

References

1. Dredgers scoop up 24 years of gunk to help Vancouver Lake

Timeline of events around Vancouver Lake
Vancouver Lake Watershed Partnership

External links

★ Vancouver Lake Park

★ Vancouver Lake Sailing Club

★ Vancouver Lake Crew