Wapato Lake was a historic lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 located in what became parts of Washington County

Washington County, Oregon

- Major highways :* Interstate 5* Interstate 205* U.S. Route 26* Oregon Route 6* Oregon Route 8* Oregon Route 10* Oregon Route 47* Oregon Route 99W* Oregon Route 210* Oregon Route 217* Oregon Route 219-Demographics:...

 and Yamhill County

Yamhill County, Oregon

-National protected areas:*Siuslaw National Forest *Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 84,992 people, 28,732 households, and 21,376 families residing in the county. The population density was 119 people per square mile . There were 30,270...

 in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

. The area is sometimes known as Wapato Lake Bed and Wapato Flat. The lake bed is located about a half mile east of Gaston

Gaston, Oregon

Gaston is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States. The population was 600 at the 2000 census. The 2006 estimate is 630 residents.-Early history:...

 at 55 metres (180.4 ft) elevation. The lake bed soils contain a layer of organic peat

Peat

Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter or histosol. Peat forms in wetland bogs, moors, muskegs, pocosins, mires, and peat swamp forests. Peat is harvested as an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world...

 that once supported a wetland community dominated by the wapato plant, Sagittaria latifolia, particularly in the upper marsh areas.

History

Prior to the arrival of settlers, the Tualatin Indians had used the lake for a winter settlement. They had 23 permanent villages centered on the lake. This band of Native Americans negotiated with the government to retain a small reservation at the lake in 1851, but the treaty was never approved by Congress with the band relegated to the Grand Ronde reservation by a 1855 treaty. The lake area was 800 to 1500 acre (323.7 to 607 ) before it was drained in the mid-1930s by the Wapato Improvement District—created by local landowners—which installed ditches, dikes, and drainage tiles to increase available farmland,
primarily for cultivation of onions. The main irrigation ditch was named the Gaston Ditch. In 2002, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service is a federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior dedicated to the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats...

 began studying the area for an expansion to the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge

Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge

The Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge is a wetlands and lowlands sanctuary in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Oregon. Established in 1992 and opened to the public in 2006, it is managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Located in southeastern Washington County, ...

located about 15 miles (24.1 km) to the east. The service created the Wapato Lake Unit in 2007, and plan to add up to 4300 acres (17.4 km²) to the refuge around Wapato Lake as well as eventually restore the lake. As of September, 2009, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had purchased 350 acres (141.6 ha) to add to an initial 140 acres (56.7 ha) the government owned prior to the establishment of the Wapato Lake Unit.