You wouldn't think that a place known for power boats, jet skis, kayaks, and fishing is also a good place to find wildflowers, wooded trails, and some really big oak trees and firs - at least, I would not have thought so. Henry Hagg Lake is a man-made reservoir a bit south of Forest Grove, OR. It was created in 1975 to provide water backup for agriculture in the area as well as for several nearby towns. It has over ten miles of shoreline and the lake and occupies about 1000 acres when full. Named after a prominent local dairy farmer who was active in government in the earl 1900's, the park and lake are now operated by Washington County.
Over the years the lake and surrounding park, officially known as Scoggins Valley Park, has expanded its recreational offerings, the main one of interest to us here at wildflower blog central is the 13.5 mile hiking trail that surrounds the lake and all of its inlets. This trail passes through several varied habitats including open meadows, dense mature forest, and many riparian areas where creeks slowly flow into the lake. Each habitat has a wealth of plants and trees, blooming from April to August. The lake is very popular in the summer but most folks are on the water or hanging out in the developed areas - which leaves quite a bit of park to explore on foot.
Of particular note for the naturalist is areas of the park now identified as special habitats for the Fender's Blue Butterfly and its host plant, Kincaid's Lupine. The Fender's is endangered and the lupine is threatened, so one can appreciate the effort going on at the lake. This lupine prefers the grassy exposed areas on the south-facing slopes of the park. Some of the trails in this area have been relocated to provide more protection for the plant and butterfly. Efforts to remove invasive plants such as Scotch Broom and Himalayan Blackberry are also underway. Hopefully these efforts will pay off for the butterfly.
About 12 years ago, I started riding my mountain bike around the lake on the trail. It has many ups and downs as well as good views of the lake. It was on these rides that I began to notice the varied flora around the lake. A few years ago, I quit riding the bike and instead walked portions of the trail to get a closer look at the flora. The park's massive disc golf course also got me out there on my feet, sometimes with my canine companion, to explore the lake's many areas.
The photo album links below are a sampling of visits from the past few years. The photos have captions. If those don't appear, click the small icon with an "i" in it.
Meanwhile, the lake trail continues to be one of our regular walking routes, almost any time of year.
Links:
Hagg Lake Photo Album 2016
Hagg Lake Photo Album 2013-2014
NPSO Page on Kincaid's Lupine
Wiki Page on Fender's Blue Butterfly
Institute for Applied Ecology
Of particular note for the naturalist is areas of the park now identified as special habitats for the Fender's Blue Butterfly and its host plant, Kincaid's Lupine. The Fender's is endangered and the lupine is threatened, so one can appreciate the effort going on at the lake. This lupine prefers the grassy exposed areas on the south-facing slopes of the park. Some of the trails in this area have been relocated to provide more protection for the plant and butterfly. Efforts to remove invasive plants such as Scotch Broom and Himalayan Blackberry are also underway. Hopefully these efforts will pay off for the butterfly.
