he ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Confluence Project sites at Cape Disappointment State Park marked the “significant completion” of the sites which include: the basalt fish cleaning table, the Baker Bay viewing platform, and the Waikiki Beach Day Use Area. Throughout the last century, Cape Disappointment has been the scene of dynamic landscape change. The public art installations of the Confluence Project at the cape continue this tradition. They add another layer to the low-lying area at the park entrance, what some of us call “the isthmus.”
The “isthmus” of the cape has gone through dramatic changes over the last one hundred years. Before the dams were built on the Columbia River, large flooding of the river would inundate this area and make an island out of the southern tip of Cape Disappointment. The Chinooks used the shelter of the cape for seasonal lodging sites that were in close proximity to the resources of both the river and the ocean. When Captain Clark hiked from Baker Bay to the Pacific Ocean, his party used this nearly sea-level passage way to cross, avoiding the climb over the densely forested hills. Clark’s map of the area makes it look like a series of ponds and wetlands throughout the isthmus area. In his journal entry for November 18th, 1805 he described it as being a “neck of Land low and half of a mile wide to the main Ocian.” Fast forward one hundred and ten years later to the construction of the North Jetty.

Jetty Town Rail Tracks

Historic pictures of the isthmus in the early nineteenth century show what we sometimes refer to as “jetty town.” The construction of the jetties at the river’s entrance significantly altered the appearance and ecology of the entire Lower Columbia River; especially where the jetties were built. The collection of buildings, loading docks, and railroad tracks almost filled the entire area we now know as the park entrance. Concrete foundations from this period are still scattered among campsites close to O’Neil Lake. Other visible evidence of this construction period includes the massive jetty itself, of course. The pilings still remain from the old receiving dock near the present-day boat launch. The jetty construction altered the isthmus mostly through the deposition of fill; lots of it. Soil surveys have revealed that there was at least ten feet of fill material brought in to build the isthmus high and dry enough to build on. The impact of this fill modified this strategic “flat spot” into a more usable space.

While Fort Canby was an active military installation at the cape, the isthmus was used to a limited degree. There were a number of support structures built there, but the majority of them were located closer to the present-day Coast Guard Station. When Washington State Parks took over the management of the cape, the isthmus was selected as the prime location for the park’s formal entrance. The park office, park shop, multiple cabins, and campsites were built in the last forty years. The boat launch and Waikiki Beach are both popular day-use sites that act as bookends for the isthmus. Like state parks, the Confluence Project saw these locations as being important historically but also functionally.

What sets the Confluence Project apart from the earlier development of the isthmus is its conscience. Recognizing the cultural and ecological significance of these sites, artist Maya Lin, saw the potential to create art in a very public place keeping function in mind, while still delivering a message. Much of the “development” of these sites is focused on restoration of the historic natural environment as well as recognition of the role of history in our life. Waikiki Beach is a great place to just soak in some sun and do some wading but it now has intriguing public art that will help visitors appreciate where they are in place and in time. The new amphitheater will be used for special guest speakers that will reinforce the themes of the Confluence Project. Fisherman will be able to clean their fish on a beautiful and yet functional basalt fishing cleaning table. The site of the viewing platform overlooking Baker Bay has always been one of my favorite viewpoints.

I’m excited that this area has been restored with native plants and a winding crushed oyster shell path leading to the platform and benches making it a place of contemplation and relaxation. I also love the cedar tree bones that have been arranged in a circle back in the quiet corner of Waikiki Beach. There is a plan to connect the boat launch and Waikiki Beach with an interpretive trail that will focus on the ecological qualities of the Columbia River estuary. The latest layer of development to the isthmus area has really just begun. With additional funding the Cape Disappointment State Park Master Plan will guide further improvements that may include building a new park office, new concessionaire store, additional cabins, as well as relocating the state park’s maintenance shop.