As we exited our lock this afternoon at McNary Dam, it was hard to tell who was watching whom. A pair of osprey had taken up housekeeping on a nesting box structure set up by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Our historian, Tom McAllister, recalls seeing a nesting pair of osprey at this site for the past eight years. The female on the nest is fed entirely by the male through the egg-laying process. When hatched, the young brood may require upwards of six pounds of fish a day. Salmon smolt are sure to be a part of this diet.
All Coast natives of the Northwest were cedar and seafood people. Life was fairly easy for them, because of the abundance of food and raw materials coupled with the temperate climate. Lewis and Clark had to deal with these shrewd traders; the Clatsops had already bargained for European goods for 25 years. We, too, enjoyed fish today during our evening wine tasting event. Many different foods of the region were available for sampling, from local wines to salmon jerky.
The Corps of Discovery noted an "abundance of salmon" as they passed through this region. A valuable resource for livelihoods, as well as the wildlife of the Columbia River.
