In 1871 an old Tualatin River channel was excavated to form the Lake Oswego Canal. The canal was intended to be used by steamboats to navigate between the Tualatin River (River Mile 6.7) and Sucker Lake (called Waluga meaning “Wild Swan” by the Clackamas). Sucker Lake is now known as Oswego Lake. However, the canal was never consistently used due to low water levels.
Until relatively recently, the canal was used as a water source for Oswego Lake. The amount of water in the canal is controlled by the Lake Oswego Canal Headgate. During the 1996 flood the Tualatin River overtopped the headgate by seven feet causing severe flooding in Lake Oswego which damaged hundreds of waterfront homes and dozens of downtown businesses. In 2010, the headgate was modified to let more water into the canal at lower river levels to help prevent future flooding.
The Saum Creek confluence is across the river from the headgate. Saum Creek is named after George and Gertrude Saum who arrived in 1879 from Pennsylvania. They operated Saum’s Sawmill, the first sawmill in that area. The Saum Creek Greenway Trail runs along Saum Creek further upstream.
Click here for more information on Tualatin River Steamboats.
