Coldwater Lake
In the midst of Washington’s record-breaking hot summer, we found the perfect solution while camping near Mount St. Helen. Just before you reach the Johnstone Ridge Observatory, there’s a sign denoting Coldwater Lake. As we passed it many times without paying much attention, we decided to grab our hiking boots and packs and take a look at the lake. We arrived early which turned out to be fortunate as it turns out to be a very popular place during the summer.
The Coldwater Lake was created during the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, which blocked its natural outlet, Coldwater Creek, with volcanic debris. Over the next few months, almost 100,000 acre-feet of water collected to form a lake 5 miles in length. At the rate the lake was filling, it was anticipated to overtop the landslide dam by late 1981 or 1982. If the natural dam had been breached it would have been yet another catastrophe for the communities downstream. A spillway was constructed to stabilize the lake and it was this effort that allowed us to hike its shoreline in the summer heat.
It was while we were at the far end of the lake that we came across a nice little cove shielded from the trail by vegetation. Several logs from the 1980 eruption line the slopes surrounding the lake, and some of these make for perfect picnic spots. It was while having lunch that we started to eye the cool waters and abrupt drop-off leading to deeper water just in front of us. It wasn’t long before we were in the refreshing waters swimming and diving.
Support
Our mission is a labor of love, but it does come with overhead. If you’d like to support our efforts we’d certainly appreciate it. Currently, we’re actively participating in the following field research:
- COASST Beached Bird Surveys
- Wild and Scenic River Project
Thank you.
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Three years after bacteria and microorganisms naturally colonized the lake and fed on organic matter, Coldwater Lake was as clear as it is today.
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Lewis and Clark State Park
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