Harker Canyon is formed by a

tributary A tributary, or affluent, is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream or main stem (or parent) river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries and the main stem river drain the surrounding drainage ...

of the

Spokane River The Spokane River is a tributary of the Columbia River, approximately long, in northern Idaho and eastern Washington in the United States. It drains a low mountainous area east of the Columbia, passing through the Spokane Valley and the city of ...

, where it forms the Spokane Arm of

Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake (also called Lake Roosevelt) is the reservoir created in 1941 by the impoundment of the Columbia River by the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state. It is named for Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was president during the con ...

, in

Lincoln County, Washington Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,876, making it the fifth-least populous county in the state. The county seat and largest city is Davenport. Lincoln County was cr ...

, United States. A small portion of the canyon where it empties into the Spokane River is part of the

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area is a U.S. national recreation area that encompasses the long Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake between Grand Coulee Dam and Northport, Washington, in eastern Washington state. The Grand Coulee Dam was built on the ...

. The remainder of the canyon is private land.

Geography

Harker Canyon is long. The canyon is oriented north-northeast by south-southwest. The canyon opens into the Spokane River at its northern end at elevation, and the top of the canyon at its southern end is at about elevation above sea level. The top of the canyon is less than from the point where State Route 25 crosses the top of Teel Hill. The northern half of the canyon is accessible by Harker Canyon Road, which intersects State Route 25 about north of the town of

Davenport Davenport may refer to: Places Australia *Davenport, Northern Territory, a locality * Hundred of Davenport, cadastral unit in South Australia **Davenport, South Australia, suburb of Port Augusta **District Council of Davenport, former local govern ...

. The canyon has been prone to

wildfire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...

s in the latter half of the 20th century and early 21st century. A wildfire burned in the canyon between August 10 and August 15, 2005.Lowenberg, Maj. Gen. Timothy J. and Mullen, Jim (2005).
2005 Activity Report: Washington State Miliatary Department Emergency Management Division
. Camp Murray, Washington. p. 11. The estimated total cost for fighting the fire was 1.0 million

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

.Sutherland, Doug (2005).
DNR Resource Protection Program 2005 SUmmary
. Washington State Department of Natural Resources. p. 3.

Population

Most of the homes built in Harker Canyon are

cottage A cottage, during Feudalism in England, England's feudal period, was the holding by a cottager (known as a Cotter (farmer), cotter or ''bordar'') of a small house with enough garden to feed a family and in return for the cottage, the cottager ...

s or

vacation house A holiday cottage, holiday home, vacation home, or vacation property is accommodation used for holiday vacations, corporate travel, and temporary housing often for less than 30 days. Such properties are typically small homes, such as cottag ...

s used for recreational purposes in the spring, summer, and fall. Some homes are occupied year-round, and real estate listings promote the canyon's proximity to the town of Davenport. Mailing addresses on Harker Canyon Road use the Davenport

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

References

;Cited references ;General references *Clouse, Thomas (2005).
"Fire crews save homes at Harker Canyon"
''The Spokesman-Review''. August 12, 2005. {{coord, 47.7966, -118.0761, display=title Canyons and gorges of Washington (state) Landforms of Lincoln County, Washington