Lake Water Levels To Rise

The Army Corps of Engineers have announced the early raising of the Lake Washington water levels with the following message. The link below will lead to further information concerning the Corps' management of many of our waterways. Much more work than most of us are aware of and definitely a topic we will be learning much more about in the future.

"We are raising Lake Washington to the target summer elevation a couple weeks earlier than normal due to extremely low inflows to Lake Washington. The lake is currently at elevation 21.9 feet, which is typical for early May and consistent with normal annual operation. However, given the extreme low water supply situation, we intend to refill to an elevation of 22 feet in the next week or two instead of the June 1 date typically targeted. Vessel owners should closely monitor lake elevations and adjust mooring lines as necessary. Lake Washington’s status is available on the Reservoir Control Center website at http://bit.ly/NWS-RCC "

Also worth keeping in mind is the Corps' Facebook site which will have many interesting photos as well as important announcements concerning closures, maintenance schedules and public events.

https://www.facebook.com/ChittendenLocks

Managing water levels - The Hiram M. Chittenden Locks, Lake Washington, and the Cedar River

 

Rearched and written by Kyle Stetler

Spillway Dam, looking upstream, under construction. June 19, 1916.

 

 

Looking north east at the spillway dam and lock site. Dec. 10, 1920

 

With spring runoff starting, winter floods behind us, and a record drenching March, as you walk over the locks, some of you may wonder where does all this water come from and how does the Corps of Engineers know how much to release or keep.

The water that leaves through the lock chambers, races under the tainter gates, or gushes through the fish ladder at the Hiram M. Chittenden locks has had a long journey by the time it hits the Puget Sound. Most of the water starts out as snow high in the Cascade Mountains slowly working its way down, over waterfalls, through turbines, meandering down a river, and then hanging out in Seattle before finally meeting the ocean. In this article we will take a brief look at the history of what role the locks has had on the watershed that drains through Salmon Bay and how and who manages the water levels.