Cowlitz River and Valley
From the Daily Intelligencer
February 2, 1880

Robert A. Habersham, engineer officially reports to Col G. L. Gillsepie, of the U. S. Engineer Corps, stationed at Portland, as follows; I have hopes to submit the accompanying map of the Cowlitz rover, and of the country through which it flows. Its value as a navigable stream, and the necessity for removal of the principal obstructions, will appear from the data given below, obtained by an examination made in pursuance of your letter of instructions of the 18th of November, of the current year.

The Cowlitz river rises in the heart of the Cascade mountains on the south watershed of Mt. Rainier, flowing due west for 60 miles, then south for 20 miles, entering the Columbia 60 miles above Astoria, 5 miles below Kalama, the southern terminus of the Northern Pacific railroad in and 48 miles from Portland. It is navigable at its lowest stage, with a least depth of 2.5 feet on the bars to Cowlitz landing, 40 miles from its mouth; during higher stages 5 miles farther 1.5 miles above Layton's ferry. 

The bar at its mouth has 7 feet depth at low tide. Just above the depth is reduced to 3.5 feet by heavy drift of the channel. From the mouth to Black's bar, the head of the tidal section, a distance of 9 miles, the width of the river averages 500 feet. Above this, to the head of navigation, 250 feet. The bad of the navigable portion of the river is principally composed of large pebbles of volcanic rocks varying from dense black basalt to pumice, some of the later so light as to float. 

The banks are from 5 to 20 feet high, steep and in some places vertical. The valley of the Cowlitz is fertile, generally covered with forests of fine timber, principally fir and cedar. There are several fine tracts of prairie land and numerous rich coal veins, as yet undeveloped. The Northern Pacific Railroad is built along the east or left bank of the river for 20 miles, crossing at the month of Pumphrey's creek. 

There are two annual seasons of high water, each occurring during the winter and caused by rains; the other in June or July, due to the melting of the snows in the Cascade mountains. The bottom of the girders of the railroad bridge at Pumphrey's to 45.5 feet above low water mark and 17.5 feet above high water of June. 1876, the highest on record. Steamboats can pass under the bridge when the water is not more than 10 feet above low water mark. 

The most important place on the river is Freeport, formerly Monticello, 3.5 miles from its mouth. It has a population of 300, with two stores doing a general merchandise business. There are fifty-five families residing in and around the town. The population of the Cowlitz valley has increased fifty per cent. within the last five years. The area under cultivation along the river banks is 26,000 acres. The exports an lumber, shingles, cattle, hogs, grain, vegetables and general farm and dairy produce. 

During the last year 11,000 passengers and 15,000 tons of freight were transported by the two steamboats which run regularly, making daily trips on the river. The obstructions to navigation are Black's bar, Huntington's bar, Battoe Rapids, Shappelier rapids, Pumphrey's bar, Gravel rapids and Cinckey's bar, besides another bar to which no name has been given, and numerous snags and drift piles at various points, but principally on the bars and rapids. 

The number of snags to be removed is nearly 300. The sum appropriated for this examination was not sufficient to enable an instrumental survey of the bars to be made. They are in a great measure due to the accumulation of drift wood, the removal of which would probably cause several of them to disappear altogether, and would certainly produce such changes in the condition of the channel generally as to render necessary a later survey of the bars before projecting any plan for their improvement. 

At present those interested in the navigation of this stream ask only that the obstructing drift which reduces the available depth of water by one half be moved. This would occupy the snag boat three months at a monthly cost for running expenses of $800. Surveys of the bars after removing the drift will cost $600. I am indebted to Captain Joseph Kellogg, owner of the Cowlitz river steamers, for the information concerning freight and passenger carriage during the last year, and for other statistics.