CogKnoSys

Knowledge you can walk. Read the idea below, then step up to the general, across to peers or down to the specific.

Physical

Vancouver Lake

Vancouver Lake is a large, shallow lake just west of Vancouver, Washington, north of the Columbia River.

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The idea

Vancouver Lake lies just west of the city of Vancouver, Washington. It sits north of the Columbia River and Portland, Oregon, and south of Ridgefield and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. The lake is very shallow. Its deepest spots are only 12 to 15 feet deep, and on average it is less than 3 feet deep.

Water reaches the lake in two main ways. A flushing channel with tidal gates brings water in from the Columbia River near the southwest shore. Burnt Bridge Creek enters on the east side after winding about ten miles through the city's neighborhoods. Lake River drains the lake from its north shore to the Columbia River near Ridgefield. Because river and lake levels shift with the seasons, Lake River sometimes reverses and flows back into the lake for long periods.

In the northern half of the lake is Turtle Island. It was made from material dug up during an Army Corps of Engineers dredging project around the edge of the lake in the early 1980s. A park on the shore has a large swimming area, and a trail leads to Frenchman's Bar Park on the Columbia River.

Check yourself

Question 1 of 2

How was Turtle Island in Vancouver Lake formed?

Pick one. The first pick counts.

Composition

what it's made of

  • Shallow basin — A lake 12 to 15 feet deep at most, with an average depth under 3 feet.
  • Flushing channel — A gated channel that brings in water from the Columbia River.
  • Burnt Bridge Creek — A creek that winds about ten miles through the city before entering the lake.
  • Lake River — The outlet that flows north to the Columbia River, and sometimes reverses.
  • Turtle Island — An island in the northern half of the lake, made from dredging tailings.

Connection

how it relates

Under Lower Columbia Rivers and Waterways

In place

  1. Vancouver, Washingtonstrength 90 of 100

    The lake lies just west of the city of Vancouver.

  2. Ridgefield, Washingtonstrength 70 of 100

    The lake lies south of Ridgefield, and its outlet, Lake River, reaches the Columbia near Ridgefield.

  3. Portland, Oregonstrength 40 of 100

    The lake lies north of the Columbia River and Portland.

Change

how and why it evolves

Past
Lewis and Clark mentioned the lake in their journal entries from November 4, 1805. Shortly after the lake was deeded to the Port of Vancouver in 1919, farm interests proposed draining it. In July 2020, after Eurasian water milfoil spread in the lake, it was treated with an herbicide to clear the weed.
Now
Algal blooms, which the county officially recognized as a problem in 2003, still trouble people who use the lake from time to time. Rowing, kayaking, canoeing, dragon boating and sailing are popular on the lake.
Next
Runoff and pollution from the surrounding neighborhoods will likely keep water quality a long-term challenge.

Knowledge you can walk. Read the idea, then step up, across or down.

Vancouver Lake

Vancouver Lake is a large, shallow lake just west of Vancouver, Washington, north of the Columbia River.

See it on the map

Learn, discuss, create, buy or invest

The idea

Vancouver Lake lies just west of the city of Vancouver, Washington. It sits north of the Columbia River and Portland, Oregon, and south of Ridgefield and the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. The lake is very shallow. Its deepest spots are only 12 to 15 feet deep, and on average it is less than 3 feet deep.

Water reaches the lake in two main ways. A flushing channel with tidal gates brings water in from the Columbia River near the southwest shore. Burnt Bridge Creek enters on the east side after winding about ten miles through the city's neighborhoods. Lake River drains the lake from its north shore to the Columbia River near Ridgefield. Because river and lake levels shift with the seasons, Lake River sometimes reverses and flows back into the lake for long periods.

In the northern half of the lake is Turtle Island. It was made from material dug up during an Army Corps of Engineers dredging project around the edge of the lake in the early 1980s. A park on the shore has a large swimming area, and a trail leads to Frenchman's Bar Park on the Columbia River.

Check yourself

2 quick questions, instant feedback.