A River Runs Through Itby Carla Miller It's doubtful the forefathers of the Olympia area could foresee the results of building a dam or 'tide lock" on the Deschutes River where it empties into Budd Inlet. The citizens of the Olympia area got a chance to enjoy approximately 23 years of fun in the swimming area when Capitol Lake was created. But while a swimming area was created, a natural estuary disappeared; this due to the creation of the lake and from fill that was brought in on the east side of the "tidal basin" to create more than twenty city blocks for businesses to develop. Unfortunately the swimming area was closed in the summer of 1985, creating a void in outdoor swimming holes in the area that still exists. The turn of events that created the lake and ultimately, the closure of the swim area by the Health Department and Olympia Parks and Recreation Department began in the early part of the century. Wilder and White, architects from New York won the competition held in 1911 to design the state capitol buildings, including the domed legislative building that both tourists and locals admire. Their winning plans called for "a tide lock" that would form a lake which would basically be a reflecting pool and "the whole effect would be visible from most parts of the city as well as from the sound." (Norman Johnson, p. 33) These plans became a reality in 1951 when the dam at 5th Avenue was built. The area which is now Capitol Lake has gone from a tidal estuary to a lake which supported swimmers, to a lake with a sign in front of the northeast corner which says, "These waters have been determined UNSAFE for swimming and wading." According to Senior Facility Planner for the state Nick Cockrell, it was a tidal estuary comparable to low tide at Mud Bay before the lake was dammed in 195l. Besides a reflecting pool for the legislative building, the concept was that at low tide people wouldn't have to look at the unsightly mud flats. The importance of estuaries was not widely known at the time. An estuary is an area where fresh and saltwater mix. Wildlife Biologist Joe La Tourette says that they are the "most productive wildlife habitats in coastal Washington." They are an essential step in the life cycle of salmon and approximately 90% of the estuaries in Washington state have disappeared largely due to development. Fingerlings develop in estuaries where they make the transition from being a fresh water fish to being a salt water fish. It's a productive area for shellfish which naturally occur at mouths of creeks and rivers. After the dam was built the change was dramatic. Sit down on one of the benches in the northeast corner of Capitol Lake Park and envision two hundred plus swimmers on a hot day, replete with boardwalks, a slide, diving boards and even a lifeguard keeping tabs on activities. According to Susan Parish, it was the stuff that teenage memories are made from and she was lucky enough to enjoy those summer years spent with friends at the swimming area, which was developed in l962. So basically Capitol "Lake" is a misnomer which is why there are not people diving in on a hot day. Due to high levels of fecal coliform and turbidity problems the swimming area was closed down in 1985. The problems stem from the fact that it is really a very shallow reservoir rather than a natural deep water lake. Because of the shallowness there is little flow, but when gates are opened the main flow only goes through the channel. The water sitting near Capitol Lake Park has little flow, therefore it heats up and causes a dense algae growth problem, in turn causing water clarity problems, which were especially troublesome for lifeguards. Apparently the algae problem was so bad at times they could only see a few inches into the water, sometimes losing sight of swimmers. The Health Department required at least four feet of visibility. In addition the sediment which comes through the Deschutes waterway is dropped into Capitol Lake instead of being dropped into Budd Inlet as would have occurred had it remained a river. This causes the lake to become shallower and warmer, causing more algae to bloom. "In 1982, the city installed a curtain around the swimming area to isolate it from the lake. They also installed a system of pipes to inject clean water into the swimming area and a system to recirculate, filter and disinfect a portion of the water. As a part of the operational procedures, aluminum sulfate (alum) was also added to the water in an attempt to remove inorganic phosphates and precipitate colloidal material including bacteria. This system was found to be ineffective." (Capitol Lake Restoration Committee) Solutions were attempted to keep the swim area open, but it was ultimately shut down in 1985. Other likely pollution problems stem from storm water and freeway runoff, industrial discharges, agricultural activities upriver, residential development, and fecal matter from water fowl. Sue Davis of the Health Department also points out that no chlorine is used in natural lakes as opposed to swimming pools. "In a natural body of water when you put 200 people in it the bacteria always goes up." The beauty of Capitol Lake continues to tease the passers by on a hot day but now only the waterfowl get to enjoy the pleasures of a natural bath. Had the ecology of an estuary been understood in the first half of this century, we could now be enjoying the wonders of a mud flat just as much as a dip in the lake or the reflection of the capitol buildings. Carla Miller is a staff writer for the Green Pages.
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