Chopaka Lake In the dry sage-steppe uplands of Eastern Washington, Douglas Creek forms a unique riparian oasis. In the basalt canyon, songbirds and raptorsperch in cottonwoods, and the road paralleling the creek passes beaver ponds and cascading pools.
Cle Elum Lake Cle Elum Dam and Lake, of the Yakima Project, are on the Cle Elum River 8 miles northwest of Cle Elum, Washington. Cle Elum, Kachess, and Keechelus reservoirs are in the Wenatchee National Forest. Camping, swimming, boating, picnicking, and fishing are available at all three reservoirs especially in the streams below the dams. Available fish species are lake trout, kokanee, and rainbow trout.
Clear Lake Reservoir Located on the North Fork of the Tieton River, 27 miles southwest of Naches, WA, Clear Lake Reservoir is created by Clear Creek Dam. The surface area of the reservoir is 260 acres. The rugged mountain terrain, surrounded by coniferous forests, creates magnificent scenic settings. Clear Lake is in the Snoqualmie National Forest.
Columbia National Wildlife Refuge The Columbia Basin is on the Pacific Flyway, a major waterfowl migration route, and the many acres of wetlands within the Columbia Basin Project area are used by numerous species. Operating hours: 7:00a.m. - 4:30p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7:00a.m. - 3:30p.m. Friday. Open during daylight hours. Refuge waters include 145 acres of ponds, 841 acres of lakes, and 17.8 miles of streams. Available species include rainbow trout, cutthroat trout, brown trout, largemouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch, and sunfish.
Columbia NWR Columbia NWR is a scenic mixture of rugged cliffs, canyons, lakes, and arid sagebrush grasslands. Combined with surrounding irrigated croplands, generally mild winters, and protection provided by the refuge, the lakes attract large numbers of migrating and wintering mallard ducks, Canada geese, and other waterfowl, including tundra swans.Located in the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains, annual precipitation averages less than 8 inches, creating an arid, desert environment. The refuge's geological setting is channeled scabland formed when great glacial floods gouged through basalt layers, leaving distinctive canyons or "channels" and numerous rocky buttes and cliffs. The northern half of the refuge south of Potholes Reservoir is a rugged jumble of cliffs, canyons, lakes, and remnants of lava flows. This part of the Scablands, called the Drumheller Channels, was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1986.Serious planning to irrigate the Columbia Basin on a large scale began in 1918. The Columbia Basin Project was approved and construction of Grand Coulee Dam began in 1934. In 1951, the first irrigation water began flowing to Columbia Basin farmlands. Columbia NWR was established in conjunction with the irrigation project in 1944 and has been actively managed since 1955.With a reliable supply of abundant water, the lakes appeared in former canyons and low spots throughout the refuge and surrounding areas. In many places on the refuge, additional lakes and ponds were created by damming spring and seepage flows. All the present refuge lakes and impoundments are the result, directly or indirectly, of irrigation water. Around the refuge, dryland wheat areas and many acres of sagebrush were soon converted to a wide variety of irrigated crops. Many of these crops, particularly corn, provided abundant food for ducks and geese. The agricultural development, together with the numerous water areas, combined each year to provide ideal feeding and resting areas for many thousands of migrating and wintering waterfowl.
Colville National Forest A sense of peace and solitude is what you feel when traveling through the Colville National Forest's scenic 7,000-foot mountains and beautiful valleys, hiking the trails, or camping by pictureque lakes. The 1.1 million acre Forest is located in the northeast corner of Washington, bordering Canada. The Forest's great salmon runs first attracted native Americans to the area; and, later miners, fur trappers, and homesteaders made their way here to tap the area's abundant resources. Special places of interest include a major recreation area with wildlife viewing opportunities nestled in the mountains at Sullivan Lake; Chewelah Mountain for winter sports; Little Pend Oreille Lakes Chain; Bangs Mountain auto tour for geology; Sherman Pass, the highest pass in Washington; the Salmo-Priest Wilderness; Thirteen-mile National Trail; and the Log Flume Interpretive Trail.
