Blue Lake Regional Park
Encyclopedia
Blue Lake Regional Park is a public park in Fairview
, in the U.S. state
of Oregon
. The 101 acres (40.9 ha) park, near the south shore of the Columbia River
in Multnomah County, includes many covered and uncovered picnic areas, playing fields for sports such as softball
, and infrastructure related to lake recreation including swimming, boating, and fishing. Encompassing wooded areas, three ponds, and a wetland
in addition to the lake, the park is frequented by migrating birds and other wildlife. Paved paths run through the park, which is near the 40 Mile Loop
hiking and biking trail. Park vegetation includes cottonwoods, willow
s, and other trees and shrubs as well as wetland plants such as cattails.
The 61 acres (24.7 ha) lake, which lies in a small artificial drainage basin
, has no natural inlet
or outlet. Water normally enters the lake only from rain, surface runoff
, and groundwater
seepage. Excessive aquatic plant
life and algae
have sometimes restricted the use of the lake, and its maintenance includes plant control and addition of fresh water from municipal wells.
, the regional government for the Oregon part of the Portland metropolitan area
, manages the 101 acres (40.9 ha) park.
It lies in Fairview near the south shore of the Columbia River
, 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Troutdale
and 11 miles (17.7 km) east of the center of Portland
in Multnomah County. Marine Drive and the 40 Mile Loop
hiking and biking trail pass north of the park, between it and the river. Northwest of the park is McGuire Island, in the Columbia River at 45.5637302°N 122.4650921°W, while Chinook Landing Marine Park lies to the northeast across Marine Drive at 45.5598414°N 122.4428696°W. South of Blue Lake beyond Interlachen Lane is Fairview Lake
at 45.5501194°N 122.4484250°W, which drains into the Columbia Slough
.
Amenities include public restroom
s, wheelchair
accessibility for most areas, trails, parking, sheltered picnic areas and tables, interpretive signs, and concession
s. Activities at the park include hiking, biking, swimming, boating, fishing, wildlife viewing, volleyball, basketball
, archery, and softball. The park has a water-spray playground of about 3500 square feet (325.2 m²) that uses municipal well water that is treated and recycled at the park. Sculptures at the west end of the lake commemorate former Chinook
villages along the Columbia River. For a fee, Metro offers the use of a 2080 square feet (193.2 m²) structure called The Lake House for banquets, conferences, receptions, recitals, and weddings. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
stocks Blue Lake annually with trout.
Wetland plants near ponds north and west of the lake include cattails and rushes that provide habitat for marsh birds such as Red-winged Blackbird
s. Swallow
s are common in summer, and American Goldfinch
es and other migratory birds visit the park in large number. Cottonwoods, alder
s, dogwood
s, willows, and conifer
s grow in the park as do many shrubs including elderberries, spiraea
, and Oregon-grape
. The park is frequented by muskrat
s, vole
s, raccoon
s, and the occasional coyote
.
The lake, which covers 61 acres (24.7 ha) of the park, lies within its own drainage basin of 128 acres (51.8 ha), bounded on the north by a levee
along the river and by the raised bed of Interlachen Lane on the east and west and a sandstone ridge on the south. Lying 14 feet (4.3 m) above sea level, the lake measures 0.9 miles (1.4 km) along its east-west axis and 0.12 mile (0.1931208 km) along its north-south axis. Although its maximum depth is 24 feet (7.3 m), about half of the lake is 10 feet (3 m) deep or less. Its shoreline totals 2 miles (3.2 km).
Having no surface inlet, the lake receives water naturally only from rain, surface runoff, and groundwater seepage. In addition, water from municipal wells is sometimes pumped into the lake during the dry season; otherwise the lake level might fall as much as 30 inches (76.2 cm) in late summer. Three small ponds, connected to the lake and to one another by culvert
s, lie just north of the lake at its west end. Outflow from lake and ponds occurs only when workers release water through a concrete weir
to Salmon Creek, in a separate drainage basin to the east. From there the water flows into the Columbia River.
The closed nature of the lake contributes to reduced water quality. Invasive aquatic plant
s such as Eurasian watermilfoil
and curlyleaf pondweed have sometimes restricted use of the lake for swimming, fishing, and boating. In 1998, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
(DEQ) added the lake to its list of impaired water bodies because it violated the state's standard for alkali
nity and supported too many aquatic weeds and algae
. As of June 2008, efforts to control weeds without damaging favored plants and other aspects of the lake were continuing.
Fairview, Oregon
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,561 people, 2,831 households, and 1,936 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,360.8 people per square mile . There were 3,116 housing units at an average density of 972.9 per square mile...
, in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
. The 101 acres (40.9 ha) park, near the south shore of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
in Multnomah County, includes many covered and uncovered picnic areas, playing fields for sports such as softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
, and infrastructure related to lake recreation including swimming, boating, and fishing. Encompassing wooded areas, three ponds, and a wetland
Wetland
A wetland is an area of land whose soil is saturated with water either permanently or seasonally. Wetlands are categorised by their characteristic vegetation, which is adapted to these unique soil conditions....
in addition to the lake, the park is frequented by migrating birds and other wildlife. Paved paths run through the park, which is near the 40 Mile Loop
40 Mile Loop
The 40-Mile Loop is a partially completed greenway trail around and through Portland in the U.S. State of Oregon. It was proposed in 1903 by the Olmsted Brothers architecture firm as part of the development of Forest Park....
hiking and biking trail. Park vegetation includes cottonwoods, willow
Willow
Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
s, and other trees and shrubs as well as wetland plants such as cattails.
The 61 acres (24.7 ha) lake, which lies in a small artificial drainage basin
Drainage basin
A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...
, has no natural inlet
Inlet
An inlet is a narrow body of water between islands or leading inland from a larger body of water, often leading to an enclosed body of water, such as a sound, bay, lagoon or marsh. In sea coasts an inlet usually refers to the actual connection between a bay and the ocean and is often called an...
or outlet. Water normally enters the lake only from rain, surface runoff
Surface runoff
Surface runoff is the water flow that occurs when soil is infiltrated to full capacity and excess water from rain, meltwater, or other sources flows over the land. This is a major component of the water cycle. Runoff that occurs on surfaces before reaching a channel is also called a nonpoint source...
, and groundwater
Groundwater
Groundwater is water located beneath the ground surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock...
seepage. Excessive aquatic plant
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
life and algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
have sometimes restricted the use of the lake, and its maintenance includes plant control and addition of fresh water from municipal wells.
Location
MetroMetro (Oregon regional government)
Metro, formerly known as Metropolitan Service District, is the regional governmental agency for the Oregon portion of the Portland metropolitan area...
, the regional government for the Oregon part of the Portland metropolitan area
Portland metropolitan area
The Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA Metropolitan Statistical Area , also known as the Portland metropolitan area or Greater Portland, is an urban area in the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington centered around the city of Portland, Oregon. The U.S...
, manages the 101 acres (40.9 ha) park.
It lies in Fairview near the south shore of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
, 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of Troutdale
Troutdale, Oregon
Troutdale is a city in Multnomah County, Oregon, north of Gresham and east of Wood Village. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,962....
and 11 miles (17.7 km) east of the center of Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
in Multnomah County. Marine Drive and the 40 Mile Loop
40 Mile Loop
The 40-Mile Loop is a partially completed greenway trail around and through Portland in the U.S. State of Oregon. It was proposed in 1903 by the Olmsted Brothers architecture firm as part of the development of Forest Park....
hiking and biking trail pass north of the park, between it and the river. Northwest of the park is McGuire Island, in the Columbia River at 45.5637302°N 122.4650921°W, while Chinook Landing Marine Park lies to the northeast across Marine Drive at 45.5598414°N 122.4428696°W. South of Blue Lake beyond Interlachen Lane is Fairview Lake
Fairview Creek
Fairview Creek is a tributary of the Columbia Slough in the U.S. state of Oregon. The creek forms in a wetland near Grant Butte in Gresham and flows north for to Fairview Lake in Fairview. Grant Butte, rising to above sea level, is one of eight dormant volcanic formations near Gresham...
at 45.5501194°N 122.4484250°W, which drains into the Columbia Slough
Columbia Slough
The Columbia Slough is a narrow waterway, about long, in the floodplain of the Columbia River in the U.S. state of Oregon. From its source in the Portland suburb of Fairview, the Columbia Slough meanders west through Gresham and Portland to the Willamette River, about from the Willamette's...
.
Amenities
Washroom
A public toilet is a room or small building containing one or more toilets and possibly also urinals which is available for use by the general public, or in a broader meaning of "public", by customers of other...
s, wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
accessibility for most areas, trails, parking, sheltered picnic areas and tables, interpretive signs, and concession
Concession stand
A concession stand , snack kiosk or snack bar is the term used to refer to a place where patrons can purchase snacks or food at a cinema, fair, stadium, or other entertainment venue. Some events or venues contract out the right to sell food to third parties...
s. Activities at the park include hiking, biking, swimming, boating, fishing, wildlife viewing, volleyball, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, archery, and softball. The park has a water-spray playground of about 3500 square feet (325.2 m²) that uses municipal well water that is treated and recycled at the park. Sculptures at the west end of the lake commemorate former Chinook
Chinookan
Chinook refers to several native amercain groups of in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, speaking the Chinookan languages. In the early 19th century, the Chinookan-speaking peoples lived along the lower and middle Columbia River in present-day Oregon and Washington...
villages along the Columbia River. For a fee, Metro offers the use of a 2080 square feet (193.2 m²) structure called The Lake House for banquets, conferences, receptions, recitals, and weddings. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife is an agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for programs protecting Oregon fish and wildlife resources and their habitats....
stocks Blue Lake annually with trout.
Wetland plants near ponds north and west of the lake include cattails and rushes that provide habitat for marsh birds such as Red-winged Blackbird
Red-winged Blackbird
The Red-winged Blackbird is a passerine bird of the family Icteridae found in most of North and much of Central America. It breeds from Alaska and Newfoundland south to Florida, the Gulf of Mexico, Mexico, and Guatemala, with isolated populations in western El Salvador, northwestern Honduras, and...
s. Swallow
Swallow
The swallows and martins are a group of passerine birds in the family Hirundinidae which are characterised by their adaptation to aerial feeding...
s are common in summer, and American Goldfinch
American Goldfinch
The American Goldfinch , also known as the Eastern Goldfinch and Wild Canary, is a small North American bird in the finch family...
es and other migratory birds visit the park in large number. Cottonwoods, alder
Alder
Alder is the common name of a genus of flowering plants belonging to the birch family . The genus comprises about 30 species of monoecious trees and shrubs, few reaching large size, distributed throughout the North Temperate Zone and in the Americas along the Andes southwards to...
s, dogwood
Dogwood
The genus Cornus is a group of about 30-60 species of woody plants in the family Cornaceae, commonly known as dogwoods. Most dogwoods are deciduous trees or shrubs, but a few species are nearly herbaceous perennial subshrubs, and a few of the woody species are evergreen...
s, willows, and conifer
Pinophyta
The conifers, division Pinophyta, also known as division Coniferophyta or Coniferae, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. Pinophytes are gymnosperms. They are cone-bearing seed plants with vascular tissue; all extant conifers are woody plants, the great majority being...
s grow in the park as do many shrubs including elderberries, spiraea
Spiraea
Spiraea , is a genus of about 80-100 species of shrubs in the family Rosaceae, subfamily Spiraeoideae. They are native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with the greatest diversity in eastern Asia....
, and Oregon-grape
Oregon-grape
Oregon-grape is an evergreen shrub related to the barberry. Some authors place Mahonia in the barberry genus, Berberis...
. The park is frequented by muskrat
Muskrat
The muskrat , the only species in genus Ondatra, is a medium-sized semi-aquatic rodent native to North America, and introduced in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. The muskrat is found in wetlands and is a very successful animal over a wide range of climates and habitats...
s, vole
Vole
A vole is a small rodent resembling a mouse but with a stouter body, a shorter hairy tail, a slightly rounder head, smaller ears and eyes, and differently formed molars . There are approximately 155 species of voles. They are sometimes known as meadow mice or field mice in North America...
s, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s, and the occasional coyote
Coyote
The coyote , also known as the American jackal or the prairie wolf, is a species of canine found throughout North and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north through Mexico, the United States and Canada...
.
Hydrology
Levee
A levee, levée, dike , embankment, floodbank or stopbank is an elongated naturally occurring ridge or artificially constructed fill or wall, which regulates water levels...
along the river and by the raised bed of Interlachen Lane on the east and west and a sandstone ridge on the south. Lying 14 feet (4.3 m) above sea level, the lake measures 0.9 miles (1.4 km) along its east-west axis and 0.12 mile (0.1931208 km) along its north-south axis. Although its maximum depth is 24 feet (7.3 m), about half of the lake is 10 feet (3 m) deep or less. Its shoreline totals 2 miles (3.2 km).
Having no surface inlet, the lake receives water naturally only from rain, surface runoff, and groundwater seepage. In addition, water from municipal wells is sometimes pumped into the lake during the dry season; otherwise the lake level might fall as much as 30 inches (76.2 cm) in late summer. Three small ponds, connected to the lake and to one another by culvert
Culvert
A culvert is a device used to channel water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Culverts can be made of many different materials; steel, polyvinyl chloride and concrete are the most common...
s, lie just north of the lake at its west end. Outflow from lake and ponds occurs only when workers release water through a concrete weir
Weir
A weir is a small overflow dam used to alter the flow characteristics of a river or stream. In most cases weirs take the form of a barrier across the river that causes water to pool behind the structure , but allows water to flow over the top...
to Salmon Creek, in a separate drainage basin to the east. From there the water flows into the Columbia River.
The closed nature of the lake contributes to reduced water quality. Invasive aquatic plant
Aquatic plant
Aquatic plants are plants that have adapted to living in aquatic environments. They are also referred to as hydrophytes or aquatic macrophytes. These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water, or at the water's surface. Aquatic plants can only grow in water or in soil that is...
s such as Eurasian watermilfoil
Myriophyllum spicatum
Myriophyllum spicatum is a species of Myriophyllum native to Europe, Asia, and north Africa. It is a submerged aquatic plant, and grows in still or slow-moving water.-Description:...
and curlyleaf pondweed have sometimes restricted use of the lake for swimming, fishing, and boating. In 1998, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is the chief regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon responsible for protecting and enhancing the state's natural resources and managing sanitary and toxic waste disposal. The agency employs approximately 700 scientists,...
(DEQ) added the lake to its list of impaired water bodies because it violated the state's standard for alkali
Alkali
In chemistry, an alkali is a basic, ionic salt of an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal element. Some authors also define an alkali as a base that dissolves in water. A solution of a soluble base has a pH greater than 7. The adjective alkaline is commonly used in English as a synonym for base,...
nity and supported too many aquatic weeds and algae
Algae
Algae are a large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length. They are photosynthetic like plants, and "simple" because their tissues are not organized into the many...
. As of June 2008, efforts to control weeds without damaging favored plants and other aspects of the lake were continuing.
Works cited
- Houck, Mike, and Cody, M.J., eds. (2000). Wild in the City. Portland, Oregon: Oregon Historical Society Press. ISBN 0-87595-273-9.
- Pfauth, Mary, and Sytsma, Mark (2004). "Integrated Aquatic Vegetation Management Plan for Blue Lake, Fairview, Oregon" (pdf). Portland, Oregon: Center for Lakes and Reservoirs, Environmental Sciences and Resources, Portland State University. Retrieved on January 1, 2009.