Lake Washington is a 22-mile-long freshwater lake bordering Seattle and Bellevue. It is the second-largest natural lake in our state. It is renowned for a massive mid-century ecological cleanup that reversed severe pollution. 

The surface area of the lake is 34 square miles; average depth of 108 feet with maximum depth of 214 feet. The shoreline stretches for 58 miles bordered by Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland and Mercer Island. The lake is fed primarily by the Cedar River and Sammamish River.

The lake is a deep glacial trough carved thousands of years ago. It was officially named in 1854 by Thomas Mercer, honoring George Washington. Historically it was called It-kow-chug by the local Duwamish people. 

In 1916 the construction of the Montlake Cut for the Lake Washington ship canal lowered the lake’s water level by nearly nine feet and changed its outflow to Puget Sound. Because of the lake’s deep water and muddy bottom, building traditional piers is impossible. Instead, engineering feats like the I-90 bridge and Evergreen Point Bridge float on pontoons and rank among the longest floating bridges in the world. 

Several high-profile tech billionaires, musicians and sports figures have homes on Lake Washington. These include Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos,  legendary cartoonist Gary Larson, veteran actor Tom Skerritt and Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft and owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. 

Note: Many of us drive regularly to Seattle and points west but have we ever thought to ask WHY floating bridges and not “regular” bridges? And I find it fascinating that a freshwater lake can be so close to ocean water and stay “fresh.” 

Note: Thanks to Google AI for help with this bit. 

Lake Coeur d’Alene Facts:

• ·     Name was given by French fur trappers impressed by the sharp trading skills of the CdA tribe; their own name for the lake means “those who are found here,” or “the discovered people.”
• ·      Is a natural but dam-controlled by the Post Falls dam on the Spokane River
• ·      Is fed by 2 rivers: the CdA and St.Joe with Spokane River as outflow
• ·      David Thompson is the first recorded European explorer to see the lake in 1807
• ·      Covers an area of 50 square miles; is 25 miles long and 1-3 miles wide with 109 miles of shoreline.

• ·      Has a surface elevation of 2128’ above sea level
• ·      Has average depth of 120’; deepest “hole” is 220’ (south of Driftwood Point)
• ·      Several celebrities have homes on Lake CdA: Kim Kardashian, George Clooney, Matt Mc Conaugey for some.
• ·      Most expensive home/property is the 18 acre, $27.5million place on Windy Bay
• ·      Typical summer temperatures: The lake’s average summer surface temperature (June through August) is 67.5°F. 
• ·      Swimming temperature: Many people find water temperatures between 70°F and 78°F comfortable for swimming; peak temp is 76o in mid-August.
•   Lake Coeur d’Alene has several “sister lakes” in the Northern Idaho panhandle. These include Hayden Lake, Pend Oreille and others. All are clear, deep and mostly cold. 

When driving in Spokane, perhaps you’ve driven north or south on Bruce Road which turns into Argonne Road at the south end towards the Spokane Valley, and never realized you’re passing a very historic tree.

The Treaty Tree is a historic Ponderosa Pine located on a grassy knoll on Peone Prairie, near Doak and Argonne Roads. It gets its name from Chief Baptiste Peone, who placed a white flag of truce on it to honor peace agreements between the Spokane Tribe and the U.S. government. 

During the Indian Wars of the 1850s, Upper Spokane Chief Baptiste Peone kept his band mostly peaceful. He placed a flag of truce in this tree to signify his camp’s neutrality. 

The tree is easily identified by its distinctive trunk that leans heavily to the south. In the early 1900s, specific clauses were added to local land deeds to ensure that the tree would never be harmed by humans. 

The tree sits on private property; do be respectful if you visit, but it can be viewed from Doak Road.

To learn more about this historic tree, click to www.SpokaneHistorical, story by Allie Honican titled Treaty Tree. 

* The photos are mine.