The Lewis River Hydroelectric Projects - PacifiCorp

Cougar Park—Local Welcome Sign
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Cougar Park
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Cougar Park
Welcome to Cougar Park. This facility is owned and operated by the
power company PacifiCorp, which provides public recreation
opportunities along the reservoirs of the Lewis River.
This campground and park is a great place to set out for a day on Yale
Reservoir, or to pitch a tent and stay a while. Cougar Park features 45
campsites (tent only), picnic area, restrooms and showers, swimming
beaches, and a boat launch ramp. In early fall, watch for spawning
kokanee (red salmon) in the creek—you might even spot bald eagles
feasting on the fish!
Sidebar:
Before the late 1800s, the Lewis River Valley was a kingdom of giant
trees. Vast stretches of ancient forest—dominated by enormous Douglasfir,
hemlock, cedar, and spruce—blanketed the land. For the latter part of
the 19 th century and most of the 20 th century, logging this great forest was
the biggest industry in the Lewis River Valley.
Early operations were small, relying solely on animal and human power
to muscle the big logs out. After loggers felled and bucked the trees, ox
teams hauled the sections over greased skid roads to steep, muddy
chutes, where the logs were sent rocketing down to the river below.
Dolbeer Logging Engines—also known as “steam donkeys”—were
introduced to the Lewis around 1900, and along with railroads, they
opened up all but the most rugged slopes to logging. By the mid-20 th
century, the original forests were nearly all gone, and companies were at
work cutting and processing the second generation of fast-growing
timber.
By 1900, several sawmills had set up shop along the upper river,
including one here at Cougar Creek. Most operations produced ties and
cants (partially-milled logs) that were floated downriver to mills at
Woodland or on to Portland.
Sidebar
Captions:
Photo of log drive
Once or twice a year, log drives herded timber down the river on high
flows. Some of the most skilled and desirable drivers were a group of
Indians who hailed from Woodland; these specialists were experts at their
tremendously dangerous job: balancing on logs, using pike poles, and
blasting apart jams to keep the wood moving downstream.
Photo of aftermath of Yacolt Burn
Appendix 1: panel profiles Lewis River Draft I&E Plan page 36