Sturgeon Lake (Oregon)
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| Sturgeon Lake | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Sturgeon Lake | |
  Sturgeon Lake  Sturgeon Lake | |
| Location | Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°43′33″N 122°47′24″W / 45.725716°N 122.79007°W |
| Type | Lake |
| Etymology | Sturgeon |
| Part of | Columbia River Basin |
Sturgeon Lake is a lake on Sauvie Island in the U.S. state of Oregon.[1] Named for its historical population of sturgeon, it is the largest lake on what is one of the largest river islands in the United States,[2] occupying 3,000 acres normally and expanding to up to 7,000 acres during the Columbia River's flood stage.[3] Located within the Sauvie Island Wildlife Area, the lake is a critical habitat within the Pacific Flyway for migratory waterfowl, hosting over 200,000 birds annually.[4] It is also an important feeding and resting place for young salmonids along their migration routes.[3]
In the 21st century, the lake has had a number of environmental problems. The most prominent of these problems is sedimentation, meaning that the lake is filling in with silt, sand, and debris.[4] Its only remaining inflows and outflows are the Gilbert River and Dairy Creek, the latter of which is significantly reduced in flow.[5] The lake has also sometimes been closed due to toxic algae blooms.[6] Starting in 2018, a restoration project returned some of the previous Dairy Creek flow.[3]
