Capitol Lake Research Paper

Capitol Lake: Estuary vs. Lake

Capitol Lake is a 260 acre large lake that has been a major icon of Olympia and its capitol campus ever since it was created. The lake is well-admired by tourists and locals. It has continuously attracted people with its gorgeous setting, and available trails around the lake to jog or walk. Wildlife such as birds, fish, seals, and other marine life have also added to this great nature experience. But what most people don’t know is that even though Capitol Lake is beautiful, the water itself has some major problems that are harmful to the lake and its environment.

The history of the lake goes all the way back to 1951, when a dam was built, as well as a concrete passage on 5th Avenue. The initial design was
Over 35,000 cubic yards a year of sediment travel into the lake a year! This means now that the lake is 21% smaller than it was when it was created. This small amount of water is turning the lake into a swamp. Since the capacity of water in the Capitol Lake is much smaller than it was before, the temperature in the lake is getting much higher. The shallow waters cause the lake to heat up much quicker. These high temperatures support aquatic weeds to grow in abundance, and put anxiety on the fish and other marine life. Another problem among Capitol Lake is the water quality. Phosphorus and bacteria are both found in the water, posing a negative effect to the lake. The high levels of Phosphorus promote the growth of algae. Oxygen is also used up for marine life in the lake, by algae that putrefy. As well as fecal coliform bacteria are found among the lake, that wash into the lake and can be very harmful to health. Lastly, the lake has invasive species. Eurasian milfoil weeds crowd the shoreline for native plants, reducing populations of native fish and other species. The New Zealand Mudsnail is also another invasive species which is taking over the habitat and native snails which depend on food. As you can see Capitol Lake is very polluted and