Day on refuge provides wildlife viewing opportunities

This is the second to a two-part series about a volunteer project to measure the water level of 11 lakes on the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge.

There is a need to check the water level at 11 lakes on the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge at least once a month.

This figure will be compared to the level of Potholes Reservoir on the same day to see the correlation between the level or the reservoir and the level of the individual lakes.

I drove to Othello, visited with Gordon Warrick and received instructions about how to conduct the task before our first trip. On March 15, my wife Garnet and I, along with little Brenda Starr, our 3.4 pound Chihuahua, headed to Quail Lake.

Next was North Teal Lake and then Lower Hampton, Upper Hampton, along with Pillar, Scabrock, Goldeneye, Blythe, Royal, Hutchinson and Halfmoon lakes. The entire trip took eight hours, because we needed the extra time to find the individual lakes, with Scabrock Lake being the most difficult to find.

We recorded the coordinates to each water gauge as a record of where they are located. This will help us conduct our task and other people who follow in our footsteps.

We made the April trip in five hours, beginning the circuit at Royal Lake and ending at Blythe Lake near O'Sullivan Dam. This revision of the route seemed easier and, perhaps, would save time.

The May trip

The Potholes State Park, site No. 23, is our starting point Monday, May 21. Our mission: Measure the water level at 11 lakes in the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge.

We invited friends, Rosann and Bill Green, to join us on the trip.

Besides checking the water level, measured on a black and white gauge sticking out of the water, Gordon asked me to count ducks, geese and swans on each lake. Also, the number of anglers present is important, as this could determine the number of birds on the water.

We first stopped at a viewpoint overlooking the Drumheller Channeled Scablands below O'Sullivan Dam. The spot is off  McManamon Road, about a half mile after the road makes a turn south toward Crab Creek.

Checking water levels

Royal Lake: Water level 11.95 feet, three ducks; Hutchinson Lake: 11.26, no birds, but two vehicles indicating anglers were on the lake.

Halfmoon Lake: 15.34 feet, no birds, no anglers; Quail Lake: 9.48, one duck; North Teal Lake, 18.74, seven ducks; Lower Hampton: 14.84, seven ducks.

Several lakes require passage through a locked gate. I am allowed to fish where the general public is allowed to fish during these monthly excursions. However, when inside a locked gate, no fishing is allowed. This rule is only fair. There are plenty of chances to wet a line, such as at North Teal and Lower Hampton.

Upper Hampton: 9.28 feet, no birds; Pillar: 4.22, no birds; Scabrock: Lake extremely low, water gauge out of water, the lowest reading of 13.60 at least two feet above the water level, four ducks. Goldeneye: 11.98 feet, nine ducks, two pelicans; Blythe: 14.50, no birds, two anglers.

The mission was a success. Rosann and Bill visited areas of the refuge they were not able to see before. We saw a bunch of song birds, but not many ducks, geese or swans on the water.

"Perhaps they are in the reeds or nesting," Bill said.

This is a good possibility and the suggestion will be passed along to Gordon.

Not one animal has been sighted during the three trips, although plenty of deer and coyote tracks have been spotted.

We left Blythe Lake and passed Corral Lake, headed for O'Sullivan Dam Road and home, when Bill looked at the cliffs on his right.

"There's a bird up there," he said. "Oh, maybe it's just a rock. No, it just moved its head."

I had stopped and was backing up at this point. We all grabbed a binocular and zeroed in on the creature. In a small indentation in the cliff, resembling a small cave, sat a great horned owl looking down at us. The big bird was a bonus for a fun day in the field with good friends.

Sidebar:

There are miles of public roads throughout the Columbia National Wildlife Refuge. It's a perfect place for a family day trip. But, a one day trip will not be sufficient to see all of the majesty, splendor and grandeur available within the boundaries.  

Items to take along:

The goal would be one binocular for each person, but at least one for the family to be shared by all. A bird book will assist with the identification of the many species living on the refuge.

The mosquitoes were numerous and this is an understatement. Bug spray will help keep the flying bugs and ticks under control. Always be on the lookout for rattlesnakes.

Several lakes are stocked with fish, so take the rods and tackle. PowerBait is a good bet in these lakes. Check the fishing regulations for the lakes open to fishing.