The Pacific Northwest, particularly the seasonally rain-drenched and temperate region west of the Cascades, would seem to be the last place to find lakes fighting for survival. But two dangerous “s” words — shallowness and sediment — could signal the beginning of the end for two beautiful lakes that people have come to love.Residents of Southwest Washington should hope that doesn’t happen to at least two shallow, silted and cherished bodies of water that share numerous similarities.
Vancouver Lake between Fruit Valley and the Columbia River measures 2,414 acres, averages just 3-5 feet deep and for decades has battled multiple natural and man-made pollutants. Silver Lake just east of Castle Rock in Cowlitz County is 2,300 acres with an average depth of just 6 feet. Every year, both lakes confront turbidity problems and invasions of blue-green algae. But they remain scenic treasures in their respective communities and sites for rowing, sailboating, swimming and occasional fishing.
No one — not even any of the experts — is sure what will happen to these two lakes, but that uncertainty is not for lack of trying to find solutions. The worst-case scenario is either or both lakes evolving over many years into swamps. That’s enough to make all of us cheer for the lake-savers.
Despite the similarities of Vancouver and Silver lakes, their respective rescuers come from different sources, one federal and one state. In Vancouver, the latest in a long line of lake examiners is the U.S. Geological Survey, which is in the second year of a three-year, $750,000 study of the lake and tributaries Burnt Bridge Creek and Lake River, as well as the flushing channel from the Columbia River. At Silver Lake, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife is trying to identify causes of turbidity and pollution.
