Scappoose Bay

Scappoose Bay
Scappoose Bay to the right (north) of Sauvie Island along Multnomah Channel.
Map
LocationColumbia County, Oregon, United States
Coordinates45°48′45″N 122°50′34″W / 45.81250°N 122.84278°W / 45.81250; -122.84278
TypeBay
Primary inflowsMilton Creek, Scappoose Creek
Primary outflowsMultnomah Channel
Catchment area114.8 square miles (297 km2)[1]
Surface elevation3 feet (0.91 m)[2]

Scappoose Bay is a slough of Multnomah Channel, a distributary of the Willamette River, about 1 mile (1.6 km) upstream of where the channel meets the Columbia River in Columbia County, Oregon, United States.

It is surrounded by a broad wetland area full of small ponds and other waterways across from Sauvie Island. It lies between Scappoose to the south and St. Helens to the north. A few small streams, including Milton Creek and Scappoose Creek drain from the east slopes of the Oregon Coast Range into the bay.[3] Lying in the upper portion of the Columbia River Estuary, Scappoose Bay is tidal but is a freshwater body.[4]

The original inhabitants of the Scappoose Bay area were the Chinookan peoples who hunted, fished, and gathered in the area. During the 19th century, American settlers developed the area, clearing land for farming. Wood product manufacturing began in the early 20th Century. Three now-defunct factories left behind hazardous materials.[5]

Scappoose Bay is an important home for several fish species. Sturgeon poaching has become a problem there in recent years.[6][7] An advisory from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality against consuming fish and shellfish from the bay remains in effect due to contamination from former industrial activity.[5]

  1. ^ "Watershed Report". Office of Water. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  2. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Scappoose Bay, USGS GNIS.
  3. ^ "Scappoose Bay". Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  4. ^ Bakall, Samantha (May 22, 2019). "How to Paddle the Lower Columbia River Water Trail". Travel Oregon. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  5. ^ a b "Department of Environmental Quality : Scappoose Bay Cleanup Work : Cleanup Sites : State of Oregon". www.oregon.gov. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  6. ^ "Giant white sturgeon, over 7 feet long [CONVERT], seized from Scappoose Bay poachers, released". KTVZ. March 17, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  7. ^ Walgamott, Andy (March 17, 2022). "More Details On Scappoose Bay Sturgeon Poaching Emerge –". nwsportsmanmag.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.