Bateman Island
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bateman island is an island located on the Columbia River between the cities of Richland and Kennewick, Washington. It is approximately 2 miles long and 1 mile wide (160 acres). The island has suffered damage from wildfires in the past, most recently on Wednesday, August 8th, 2001. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental, as opposed to still smoldering leftover debris from just 5 days prior.
Presently, the island is open to the public for numerous activities. The island is connected to the mainland by a man-made bridge, so there is some speculation as to it actually being an island, rather a peninsula. Since the events in 2001, the island still shows signs of the disaster but at the same time has recovered significantly. Bateman is home to many different species of wildlife, including deer, birds, and even carp in the wet season.
[edit] Lewis & Clark and Bateman Island
Lewis & Clark mention Bateman Island in their journals that depicted the events in their hugely renown journey. William Clark and 2 other men made their way towards the mouth of the yakima river, but due to the time the farthest they got was Bateman island. As Clark wrote on October 17th, 1805:
"... I took two men in a Small Canoe and assended the Columbia river 10 miles to an Island near the Stard. Shore on which two large Mat Lodges of Indians were drying Salmon, ... there is no timber of any Sort except Small willow bushes in Sight in any direction - from this Island the natives showed me the enterance of a large Westerly fork which they Call Tâpetêtt at about 8 miles distant, the evening being late I deturmined to return to the forks, at which place I reached at Dark. ..."
Since Lewis and Clark never made it past Bateman island, it became the furthest point upstream ever reached by the two men on the Columbia River before their journey ended.
