Sauvie Island (General Info)

Location

So below are links to the other nine eBird Hotspots for Sauvie Island in Columbia County, listed in descending species count order. Sauvie Island–Rentenaar Rd. Sauvie Island–Reeder Rd. Observation Shelter Sauvie Island–Oak Island (Columbia Co.) Sauvie Island–Sturgeon Lake (NE side) Sauvie Island–Willow Bar (Columbia Co.) Sauvie Island–The Narrows Sauvie Island–Steelman Lake Sauvie Island–The Wash Racetrack Lake

Go to the Oregon Birding Trails website. Choose the Willamette Valley Birding Trail. Click on the Trail Guide and choose the Columbia Loop Guide. Sections C-16 through 18. (Map of S.I. Sites Listed) Undoubtedly, Sauvie Island is the crown jewel of Columbia County. Anybody looking to build a substantial County list will want to allocate a large portion of their time birding on Sauvie Island. Only the north end of the Island is within Columbia County, but it is, arguably, the most productive. Most of it is in the ODFW Wildlife Management Area but there are a few parcels of private land. There are three access points: Sauvie Island Rd on the west, Oak Island Rd. in the middle, and Reeder Rd on the east. Some, but not all areas require an ODFW Parking Permit. These areas are well marked. Permits can be purchased at ODFW License Agents (pdf), at ODFW offices that sell licenses and online. Some of the establishments on the Island are ODFW License Agents. Permits are good for any ODFW managed areas in the state, such as Summer Lake in Lake County. Some of the areas on the Island are closed to the general public from Oct 1 through April 30. To access these areas during closure you will need a valid hunting license and a hunting permit. However, you don’t have to have a gun, a retriever and a set of decoys to access these areas. Note: If you’re a county ticking, ABA rule abiding lister you may want to closely check just where the county line is. I’m not sure that any of the bodies of water that have free flow with Sturgeon Lake in this area are designated as lying in Columbia County. It’s possible they are in Multnomah County and that Columbia County starts at the shoreline. It depends on which map you consult. For the purposes of this guide it is assumed that the County line cuts a straight line across Sturgeon Lake. Sauvie Island Website