Clover Island is a small island in the

Columbia River The Columbia River (Upper Chinook language, Upper Chinook: ' or '; Sahaptin language, Sahaptin: ''Nch’i-Wàna'' or ''Nchi wana''; Sinixt dialect'' '') is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river headwater ...

located between the Blue Bridge and the

Cable Bridge The Cable Bridge, officially called the Ed Hendler Bridge and sometimes called the Intercity Bridge, spans the Columbia River between Pasco, Washington, Pasco and Kennewick, Washington, Kennewick in southeastern Washington (state), Washington as ...

Kennewick, Washington Kennewick () is a city in Benton County, Washington, Benton County in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is located along the southwest bank of the Columbia River, just southeast of the confluence of the Columbia and Yakima ...

. It is roughly long, wide and has an area of . The island is owned by the Port of Kennewick. Prior to the construction of the

McNary Dam McNary Dam is a 1.4-mile (2.2-km) long concrete gravity run-of-the-river dam which spans the Columbia River. It joins Umatilla County, Oregon with Benton County, Washington, 292 miles (470 km) upriver from the mouth of the Columbia. It is ope ...

near

Umatilla, Oregon Umatilla (, ) is a city in Umatilla County, Oregon, United States. The population in 2010 was 6,906, but the city's population includes approximately 2,000 inmates incarcerated at Two Rivers Correctional Institution. Umatilla is part of the ...

, Clover Island had an area of around . Members of the

Lewis and Clark Expedition The Lewis and Clark Expedition, also known as the Corps of Discovery Expedition, was the United States expedition to cross the newly acquired western portion of the country after the Louisiana Purchase. The Corps of Discovery was a select gro ...

visited Clover Island on October 17, 1805, while en route to the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

Amenities

Unlike Bateman Island, which is located upstream in nearby Richland, Clover Island is highly developed. It is connected to the shore by a causeway which is crossed by Clover Island Drive. Clover Island is also easily accessible by bicyclists, owing to its proximity to the

Sacagawea Heritage Trail The Sacagawea Heritage Trail is a relatively flat multi-use recreational trail in the Tri-Cities, Washington. It travels along the Columbia River for its entire length, forming a loop that connects Pasco, Washington, Pasco, Richland, Washington, ...

. Clover Island is home to the Clover Island Inn, a four-story hotel at the east end of the island. Also on the island is the Ice Harbor Brewing Company, and three eating establishments. The Clover Island Yacht Club is located on the island, as well as a two lane boat launch and a tall lighthouse. The Clover Island Light is the first

lighthouse A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of physical structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lens (optics), lenses and to serve as a beacon for navigational aid for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Ligh ...

to be built in the United States since 1962.

Future development

The Port of Kennewick has extensive plans to further develop Clover Island. Future plans include constructing buildings to house a post office as well as retail space and mixed use developments. There are also plans to create a few new viewpoints at various locations on the island to provide scenic views of the Columbia River and the bridges crossing it. A tour boat dock is also planned. Several of the projects, like the Village at Island Harbor, are in various forms of construction. Changes to improve fish habitats around the island are also planned, with the Port working with the Army Corps of Engineers. That project is expected to cost less than $5 million, with 75% of the funding going to environmental restoration and 10% of the budget going to recreational development.

Coast Guard Station

The United States Coast Guard's Aids to Navigation Team (ANT) Kennewick is headquartered on the island. ANT Kennewick is part of Marine Safety Unit

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

and holds primary responsibility for fixed navigational structures in the Columbia River between

Hood River, Oregon Hood River is a city in and the county seat of Hood River County, Oregon, United States. It is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 8,313. It is the only city in O ...

and Richland as well as in the

Snake River The Snake River is a major river in the interior Pacific Northwest region of the United States. About long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, which is the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. Begin ...

from its mouth upstream to

Lewiston, Idaho Lewiston is a city and the county seat of Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States, in the state's North Central Idaho, north central region. It is the third-largest city in the Idaho Panhandle, northern Idaho region, behind Post Falls, Idaho, Pos ...

. They also hold secondary responsibility for all other navigational aids between Hood River and

Fort Peck, Montana Fort Peck is a town in Valley County, Montana, United States. The population was 239 at the 2020 census. History The name Fort Peck is associated with Col. Campbell K. Peck, the partner of Elias H. Durfee in the Leavenworth, Kansas trading fir ...

, which includes major lakes near

Spokane Spokane ( ) is the most populous city in eastern Washington and the county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It lies along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south ...

and in the

Idaho Panhandle The Idaho panhandle—locally known as North Idaho, Northern Idaho, or simply the Panhandle—is a salient region of the U.S. state of Idaho encompassing the state's 10 northernmost counties: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, ...

. ANT Kennewick was established in 1992. Previous to this it was known as Station Kennewick. The facility was built in 1962 when operations were moved from

John Day, Oregon John Day is a city located approximately north of Canyon City, Oregon, Canyon City in Grant County, Oregon, United States, at the intersection of U.S. Routes U.S. Route 26 in Oregon, 26 and U.S. Route 395 (Oregon), 395. The city was named for the ...

because Kennewick seemed like a more reasonable halfway point.

References

{{authority control Landforms of Benton County, Washington Islands of the Columbia River in Washington (state) Lighthouses in Washington (state)

Amenities

Future development

Coast Guard Station

See also

References