For other uses of this place name, see Harker Canyon (disambiguation).

Harker Canyon is formed by a tributary

Tributary

A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...

 of the Spokane River

Spokane River

The Spokane River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northern Idaho and eastern Washington in the United States. It drains a low mountainous area east of the Columbia, passing through the city of Spokane, Washington.-Description:...

, where it forms the Spokane Arm of Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake is the reservoir created in 1941 by the impoundment of the Columbia River by the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state. It is named for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was President during the construction of the dam...

, in Lincoln County, Washington, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. A small portion of the canyon where it empties into the Spokane River is part of the Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area is a U.S. National Recreation Area of the National Park Service that encompasses the long Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake between Grand Coulee Dam and Northport, Washington, in eastern Washington state. It is a popular boating, fishing, hunting, camping, and...

. The remainder of the canyon is private land.

Geography

Harker Canyon is 9 km (5.6 mi) long. The canyon is oriented north-northeast by south-southwest. The canyon opens into the Spokane River at its northern end at 410 m (1345 ft) elevation, and the top of the canyon at its southern end is at about 830 m (2,700 ft) elevation above sea level. The top of the canyon is less than 1 km (0.621372736649807 mi) from the point where State Route 25

Washington State Route 25

State Route 25 , named the Coulee Reservoir Highway, is a long state highway serving communities in Lincoln and Stevens counties in the U.S. state of Washington. The highway begins at an intersection with east of Davenport and continues northwest to cross the Spokane River on the Spokane...

 crosses the top of Teel Hill. The northern half of the canyon is accessible by Harker Canyon Road, which intersects State Route 25 about 6.5 km (4 mi) north of the town of Davenport

Davenport, Washington

Davenport is a city in Lincoln County, Washington, United States. The population was 1,734 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Lincoln County.-History:Davenport was first settled in 1880, and was named in 1882 for resident J.C. Davenport...

.

The canyon has been prone to wildfire

Wildfire

A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...

s in the latter half of the 20th century and early 21st century. A wildfire burned 634 ha (1,566 acres) in the canyon between August 10 and August 15, 2005. The estimated total cost for fighting the fire was 1.0 million USD

United States dollar

The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....

.

Population

Most of the homes built in Harker Canyon are cottage

Cottage

__toc__In modern usage, a cottage is usually a modest, often cozy dwelling, typically in a rural or semi-rural location. However there are cottage-style dwellings in cities, and in places such as Canada the term exists with no connotations of size at all...

s or vacation houses used for recreational purposes in the spring, summer, and fall. Some homes are occupied year-round, and real estate listings promote the canyon's proximity to the town of Davenport. Mailing addresses on Harker Canyon Road use the Davenport post office

Post office

A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...

.