Lake Washington is a popular lake in the state of Washington. It’s the largest of the three major lakes in King County. It’s also the second-largest natural lake in the state.
The lake is considered very safe now and is a place where many people gather to hang out and get some time in the water. However, it wasn’t always so clean and pristine. To learn more about Lake Washington, continue reading below.
Location
Lake Washington is in the state of Washington, located between Seattle and Bellevue.
The towns that border the lake include:
- Seattle
- Lake Forest Park
- Kenmore
- Kirkland
- Yarrow Point
- Hunts Point
- Medina
- Bellevue
- Beaux Arts Village
- Renton
Additionally, there is an island that makes up a good portion of the lake called Mercer Island. On the island is a city that shares the same name.
History
Lake Washington’s history acts as a reminder that humans can greatly impact their local watersheds. Between 1941 and 1963, secondary sewage was released into the lake.
This treated sewage led to large algal blooms, especially blooms of blue-green algae. Water quality quickly went downhill. Many of the other, native algae were wiped out by blue-green bacteria.