Army Corps to begin Lake Washington refill this week

Later this week, the level of Lake Washington will be on the rise.

The US Army Corps of Engineers will begin their annual summer lake-filling operations on Feb. 15, during which they’ll slowly add enough water to refill the lake to elevation 22 feet.

The Corps said vessel owners should closely monitor lake elevations for the next few months and adjust mooring lines as necessary.

The Army Corps, which measures the lake levels from the Locks, say the 22-foot target is meant to help meet increased water use, provide water necessary for fish passage, navigation and salinity control. The winter level is right around 20 feet, so the lake and Ship Canal levels will rise two feet — their goal is to have it refilled by June 1.

The levels of Lake Washington and Lake Union may vary, the Corps explain, due to natural gradient between the lake and the Locks, or wind that can push the lake levels up for periods of time.

To learn more about the refill process, click here.

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