KENNEWICK, Wash.-In 1789 the United States Congress approved the construction of lighthouses near waterways for navigation safety, a practice that continues over two-hundred years later, including on Kennewick’s Clover Island.
The Clover Island Lighthouse opened in 2010 and has become an iconic Kennewick landmark.
The 62-foot-tall lighthouse is made of four cast concrete sections that were lifted into place with a metal ring placed around the top. All the metal used in the lighthouse was fabricated in Spokane, according to Tana Bader-Inglima, Deputy CEO of the Port of Kennewick.
“It’s an icon for the community,” Bader-Inglima said. “A reason for people to come out to the island.”
While the stretch of the Columbia between Pasco and Kennewick may not see much commercial navigation, the Clover Island Lighthouse is a functioning lighthouse.
“It is a fully-functioning lighthouse on all the United States Coast Guard charts,” said Bader-Inglima.
The Clover Island Lighthouse was the first step in island-wide improvements and upgrades 15-years ago and while it’s not open to the public, there is a plaza at the base for residents to enjoy, as well as trails and viewpoints around the island.
