History and Creation:
The history of Capitol Lake can be traced all the way back to 1855 when the territorial legislature accepted an offer of 12 acres of land by Olympia's founder, Edmund Sylvester, for the site of the capitol. The 1911 Wilder and White plan that was submitted and accepted by the State Capitol Commission originally called for a slightly different adaptation of the lake with a tide lock. After a few false starts, and WWII had completed, the vision reemerged. In 1947, Governor Monrad C. Wallgren initiated the Project by declaring an emergency to get the project started and authorized the issuance of bonds. The State submitted an application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on June 1, 1948 for approval to construct a 230,000 cubic yard earth dam at the north end of the basin (5th Avenue) with an 80 foot concrete spillway structure. Along with the dam, the request was made to construct an earth fill of 186,500 cubic yards along the westerly shore for Deschutes Parkway and an additional earth fill of 375,000 cubic yards at the northeast end of the basin, where Olympia’s former Capitol Lake Park was located. This request was subsequently approved by the Corps on February 4, 1949, and construction was completed on October 10, 1951. For the full history provided by WA Department of Enterprise Services you can visit: http://www.des.wa.gov/about/pi/CapitolLake/Pages/CapitolLakeHistory.aspx
Siltation and Dredging:
Prior to the construction of the damn the sediment from the Deschutes River flowed down stream into Bud Inlet. Several parts of Budd Inlet have been dredged over the past 30 years. Captiol Lake itself was dredged first in 1986. Prior to 1986 the lake depth sat at about 15 feet, but now is currently as shallow as about 8 feet. It is currently estimated that the Deschutes river is contributing approximately 35,000 cubic yards of sediment each year to Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet.
New Zealand Mudsnails:
Potamopyrgus antipodarum or "New Zealand Mudsnail" are tiny non-native snails that have infested an increasing number of Washington's lakes and streams. These snails multiply quickly and disrupt the food chain, threatening native fish. The species' size makes it easy for anglers and boaters unknowingly to transport mudsnails from one waterbody to another. To date, there is no way to eradicate mudsnails once they have infested a waterbody without damaging the aquatic habitat. (http://wdfw.wa.gov/ais/species.php?Name=potamopyrgus_antipodarum) As a result of their present in Capitol Lake, the lake has been closed to all activity since 2009. The Mudsnails cannot survive for a prolonged period of time when temperatures drop below freezing. A cold snap in 2013 was rumored to have killed 40-60% of the current mudsnail population. As stated above, their ability to quickly repopulate makes the task of fully eradicating them nearly impossible.
Salmon:
If you cross 5th Avenue from the Northernmost point of Capitol Lake, you can occasionally witness the annual return of (non-native) salmon as they jump from the last run of the fish ladder into Capitol Lake.
Local members of the community often post signs when the run is occurring. These fish are Deschutes River Fall Chinook that are raised by the State through the Tumwater Falls Chinook Hatchery Program. if you want to read the full Hatchery and Genetic Management Plan for the Deschutes River Fall Chinook you can visit: http://wdfw.wa.gov/hatcheries/hgmp/pdf/puget_sound/tumwater_falls_fa_chin_2013_draft.pdf
Eutrophication:
Capitol Lake is eutrophic. In the case of Capitol Lake, there is extremely low dissolved oxygen and annual algae blooms. Some summers the lake is completely covered in a thick green layer of algae.
Nutria:
Myocastor coypus or Nutria are semi-aquatic rodents native to South America. They are often mistaken for beavers. Nutria are believed to have been brought to Washington in the 1930's for use in the fur industry. Currently Nutria have been spotted around Capitol Lake. Washington State Fish and Wildlife, along with Department of Enterprise Services is attempting to use lethal means to control what the state has deemed to be an infestation.
"Dam/Estuary Controversy"
Capitol Lake faces a number of challenges, including water quality, invasive species, and sediment management. Current management practices are not sustainable in the long term. Over the past several years, scientists and other specialists have conducted extensive studies to better understand the challenges and opportunities of Capitol Lake. The current options that have been examined are:
- Status Quo – Do not dredge the lake, but continue current dam operations, weed control and other maintenance procedures.
- Managed Lake – Conduct an initial dredge to restore the depth of the lake and then periodically dredge the new sediment coming down the river.
- Estuary – Restore tidal action by dredging sediment; removing the dam and constructing a new 5th Avenue Bridge.
- Dual Basin Estuary – Same as the Estuary alternative, but with a barrier dividing the north part of the lake into a saltwater reflecting pool adjacent to Heritage Park, and an estuary adjacent to Deschutes Parkway.
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