1990 Map of Deer Island

About this map

Columbia River islands and sloughs define the border between Oregon and Washington in this early 1990s record of the river's changing geometry. The sprawling landmass of Deer Island dominates the western channel, characterized by a complex network of interior water bodies including Cottonwood Lake, Swan Lake, and Thorn Lake. On the Oregon bank, the settlement of Columbia City and the hillside hamlet of Deer Island sit beneath the elevations of Maple Hill, while Woodland anchors the Washington side across the Martin Island Channel. The landscape reveals a heavy reliance on hydrological management, with an extensive system of dikes and levees protecting the low-lying basins. Local infrastructure is evidenced by the Old Pacific Highway and various industrial footprints, such as a Gravel Pit and Quarry, which suggest the ongoing extraction and transport economy of the Columbia basin.