Wetland habitat is hard to find in the Columbia River Gorge. Over the last 150 years, some 70 percent of the area's wetlands have been lost, including more than 114,000 acres of habitat for birds, fish and other species.

That's part of what makes Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge so special - it's one of the few wetland habitats left in the gorge, and it's teeming with activity.

The 1,049-acre refuge is found just east of Washougal, in the shadow of the Georgia Pacific paper mill. But other than the presence of a few industrial building in the distance, Steigerwald is strictly for the wildlife that lives or rests up there, and the people that come to visit.

More than three miles of paved trails lead through the refuge, past Steigerwald Lake, over Gibbons Creek and around Redtail Lake. Wildlife teems all around it, offering close encounters with deer, beavers, turtles, toads and more than 200 species of birds.

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As I meandered through the refuge on a warm day in February, I spotted several pairs of Canadian geese, resting by the water and preening their feathers. A few feet beyond, a great blue heron perched on the banks of Redtail Lake. As I stooped to get a picture, a downy woodpecker landed on a branch nearby, as a western scrub-jay flitted from place to place all around me.

The walk through Steigerwald is short, but you could spend hours with the wildlife there, which is known for displays of majesty. On a white board at the trailhead, guests record animal sightings in the refuge. When I was there, the board read: "I saw a bald eagle grab a duck out of the pond, and eat it up on a tree."

I can't confirm that sighting, but the very fact that Steigerwald is a place where that could happen is thrilling.

Steigerwald is one of three wildlife refuges in the Columbia River Gorge (all in Washington), but it's the only one with public access, making it a go-to place for bird watchers and wildlife lovers along this stretch of the Columbia River. And its proximity to the suburbs of Vancouver and Portland make it a great starting destination on a trip east along the beautiful Washington State Route 14.

As beautiful as it is now, there are plans for some big changes at the refuge. Last year, officials with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced plans to link the wetland with the Columbia River by breaching a levee, expanding the habitat and re-routing trails in the process.

Because as big and beautiful as it is, Steigerwald is still only a fraction of what the wetland habitat used to be in the Columbia River Gorge. This small stretch of land is now for the birds and the animals - and the humans stopping by.

--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB

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