Bateman island is an island located on the Columbia River between the cities of Richland and Kennewick, Washington. It is approximately 2 miles long and 1 mile wide (160 acres). The island has suffered damage from wildfires in the past, most recently on Wednesday, August 8th, 2001. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental, as opposed to still smoldering leftover debris from just 5 days prior. The Columbia River (French: fleuve Columbia) is a river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. ... Richland is the name of some places in the United States of America: Richland, Connecticut Richland, Georgia Richland, Iowa Richland, Michigan Richland, Mississippi Richland, Missouri Richland, Nebraska Richland, New York Richland, Oregon Richland, Pennsylvania Richland, Texas Richland, Washington Richland, Wisconsin Richland, Richland County, Wisconsin Richland, Rusk County, Wisconsin Richland Township... Kennewick is a city located in Benton County in south east Washington State. ... Official language(s) English Capital Olympia Largest city Seattle Area  Ranked 18th  - Total 71,342 sq mi (184,827 km²)  - Width 240 miles (385 km)  - Length 360 miles (580 km)  - % water 6. ... Fire in San Bernardino, California Mountains (image taken from the International Space Station) A wildfire, also known as a forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, or bushfire (in Australasia), is an uncontrolled fire in wildland often caused by lightning; other common causes are human carelessness and arson. ... August 8 is the 220th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (221st in leap years), with 145 days remaining. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Presently, the island is open to the public for numerous activities. The island is connected to the mainland by a man-made bridge, so there is some speculation as to it actually being an island, rather a peninsula. Since the events in 2001, the island still shows signs of the disaster but at the same time has recovered significantly. The island itself is home to many different species of wildlife, including deer, birds, and even carp in the wet season. A peninsula in Croatia A peninsula (from the latin words paene insula, almost island) is a geographical landform consisting of an extension of a body of land from a larger body of land, surrounded by water on three sides. ... “Fawn” redirects here. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ...

Lewis & Clark and Bateman Island

Lewis & Clark mention Bateman Island in their journals that depicted the events in their hugely renown journey. William Clark and 2 other men made their way towards the mouth of the yakima river, but due to the time the farthest they got was Bateman island. As Clark wrote on October 17th, 1805: Lewis and Clark The Lewis and Clark expedition (1804–1806) was the first United States overland expedition to the Pacific coast and back, led by Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark, of the United States Army. ... William Clark William Clark (August 1, 1770 - September 1, 1838) was a Scottish-American explorer who accompanied Meriwether Lewis on the Lewis and Clark Expedition. ...

"... I took two men in a Small Canoe and assended the Columbia river 10 miles to an Island near the Stard. Shore on which two large Mat Lodges of Indians were drying Salmon, ... there is no timber of any Sort except Small willow bushes in Sight in any direction - from this Island the natives showed me the enterance of a large Westerly fork which they Call Tâpetêtt at about 8 miles distant, the evening being late I deturmined to return to the forks, at which place I reached at Dark. ..."

Since Lewis and Clark never made it past Bateman island, it became the furthest point upstream ever reached by the two men on the Columbia River before their journey ended.

References

• More on the background of Bateman island and relation to Lewis & Clark

• A short description of the wildfire that plagued Bateman island in 2001