Saltese Flats

The Saltese Flats are a Wetland in Spokane County in the U.S. state of Washington. The wetlands are overlooked by the Saltese Uplands, and are fed by the Quinnamose Creek, and emptied by the Saltese Creek The wetlands were originally drained for farming, but the Spokane County Environmental Services is working hard to try to restore them. The primary goal is to restore the wetlands habitat, and increase late summer water flow into the Spokane River. [1]

History

The area known as the Saltese Flats, was once a Lake (even larger than the nearby Liberty Lake, but was drained by Peter Morrison in the 1890s. Starting in 1894, Morrison and hired laborers, used horses to dig canals that totaled 10 miles (16 km) in length. Morrison thought if the lake was drained, he would be able to grow the best Timothy Hay in the Northwest. Within weeks of the canals being finished, the lake had completely drained, except for a portion now know as Shelley Lake. The primary drainage canal is now known as the Saltese Creek. [2]

References

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