Deschutes Estuary
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The Deschutes Estuary is in the cities of Olympia and Tumwater in Thurston County where the mouth of the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet. The estuary became Capitol Lake with construction of the Fifth Avenue Dam in 1951. Developing a politically acceptable strategy for restoration of the estuary has been a long term effort. Percival Creek Watershed drains to the west side of the estuary. The historical Estuary could be defined to include several small tributaries in south Budd including Indian-Moxlie Creek Watershed, now buried and entering East Bay in a pipe, as well as Schneider Creek Watershed at West Bay. The Estuary is a MTCA cleanup site, part of the Puget Sound Initiative.
Deschutes Estuary Restortion Project
Notes
- Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team has supported the Steh'chass Festival
- PWA 2008 provides an analysis of restoration feasibility.
- The lake is currently under public ownership and managed by the General Services Administration.
- CLAMP 2009 describes the final steering committee recommendation to restore the lake to an estuary.
- The Capital Lake Improvement and Protection Association has organized resitance to restoration.
- PSNERP has prepared a preliminary conceptual design for restoration as part of a USACE General Investigation.
- The Deschutes Estuary Restoration Team advocates for restoration of Capitol Lake to an estuary and has assembled historical documents on their website.
- The Squaxin Tribe, also advocating for estuary restoration, provides some information.
- The date of dam functioning is Nov 15, 1951, with the 75th anniversary falling in 2026.