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News Room Headline
Corps of Engineers raising Lake Washington’s water level
Contact: Patricia Graesser (206) 764-3760
Feb. 3, 2003
SEATTLE—The Army Corps of Engineers began raising Lake Washington from its winter level Feb. 3, two weeks earlier than normal, to capture as much spring rainfall and runoff as possible. The Corps regulates the level of Lake Washington with the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks and dam in Ballard.
Potential reduced spring flow from the Cedar River and other runoff in the basin could diminish the amount of water available for filling Lake Washington. However, the Corps does not anticipate a problem raising the lake to its normal summer level of 22 feet (Corps of Engineers datum).
By initiating refill early, the Corps will have enough water to provide flows through the smolt passage flumes for salmon and steelhead smolt out-migration and flows through the fish ladder for adult in-migration.
The lake is anticipated to rise from an elevation of 20 feet today to 20.4 feet by mid February. The Corps will then gradually raise the lake to elevation 21.85 by the end of April and 21.95 by the end of May.
The Corps usually lowers the lake to 20 feet above sea level between June and November and then raises the level to 21.95 feet by the end of May.
You can monitor Lake Washington’s elevation any time on the Intranet at: River Basins
The site provides current elevation information as well as a graph of Lake Washington’s average elevation throughout the year. You can also get to this site through http://www.nws.usace.army.mil and clicking on the Lake and river level information link.
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