September, 2025
One of my reasons for heading back to Lake Wynoochee (and staying in the Coho Campground, a National Forest Service campground) was to go kayaking in my Stearns inflatable kayak on this beautiful lake. There’s a very nice boat launch ramp that gently heads down into the lake water, and it’s never very busy. I can drive there with my big white truck, park in the parking lot, and then just walk down the ramp to the water, carrying the kayak, no problem. So today I figured that I’d better go check out the boat ramp area before I take the time and effort to inflate the kayak and get all the gear ready (life jacket, paddle, camera, waterproof shoes, etc.). I knew that the water level in the lake here in September would be lower than during the rest of the year, this late in the summer, but that wouldn’t bother me.
So rather than drive to the boat ramp just to check it out, I actually very easily walked to the boat ramp, about a 15 minute walk since it was just on the other side of the campground from my campsite. It was SUCH a gorgeous day! The photo below was taken as I stood at the top of the boat ramp. It’s the view towards the north, into the foothills of the Olympic Mountains. How pretty is that? [left click to enlarge photos]
But then … why is there so often a “but” … but then, I turned to the right and saw the sign below. “Caution, low water, ramp closed to trailers”. Well, I wouldn’t be launching a boat with a trailer, I would simply walk down the ramp with kayak in hand. BUT, the sign did say “caution, low water”. Hmm.
So, I walked down the ramp to check it out. No problem. I see water down there.
But the closer I got to the bottom of the paved ramp, the more I saw how low the water was.
The lake water was lower than the end of the ramp, so no wonder they had banned anyone backing a boat trailer down there. You’d have been stuck in the mud for sure. But I still had hope since I would be launching by hand, not by trailer.
I looked to my right (below), and finally began to realize how truly low the water was. That green grass up there on the right was probably about 30 feet above me.
I looked up the statistics for the lake level online after I got home. High water is about 788 feet. When I was standing there taking that photo above, on September 2, 2025, the water height was 751 … 37 feet! below that green stuff above on the right. Later in 2025 (Oct-Nov) the water level would drop to about 740 feet, another 19 feet LOWER than when I was there in September. I chatted with a federal employee when I was there this trip (this is a federal park and dam facility), who told me this year had the lowest water levels of any year since that dam was built. Less rain, less run-off from spring snow melt since there was less snow/ice up above, and warmer weather than ever so the little water that was there had been evaporating.
But, thinking about kayaking, you can see around the edge of the water in the photos above that the shore line doesn’t look very attractive. Take a look at the photo below.
Rocks and mud and sticks sticking up. Not my idea of a good time, and not what I’d like to have coating the outside of the kayak, or having the rocks or sticks tear apart the inflatable kayak.
I looked across the lake (photo above), and then, again, realized how low the water was. Whole trees had fallen, and even THEY didn’t reach all the way down to the water.
But I turned to look back towards my original direction of view from the bottom of the ramp, and then realized I could see a bit of the dam! That was interesting. But, yes, I could see even more stumps and logs in the water. So I resigned myself to canceling my kayaking for this trip until a future trip here when the water would be higher.
But I then got curious about the dam. Hey, there’s always something to like, yes? 🙂
So I clambered up that 37-foot bank to my right and then walked over to a spot where I could see the entire dam. This side of the dam would usually be almost covered by water, by Lake Wynoochee. Ordinarily, water from the lake is allowed to flow through the dam, down conduits to a power house below and then produce electricity for local communities. Not today! The water was too low.
In fact, I was told that the local communities had to purchase electricity from other suppliers at a much higher cost simply because there wasn’t enough water behind this dam. And, sadly, there was much concern for fish in the lake because of the low water level, the increased presence of mud and debris, the reduced movement of the water to provide oxygen in the water, and the increased temperature of the water because of a hot summer, and less depth of water to keep the fish cool.
Ordinarily, the water level is up near the white line that runs across those two drum doors in the photo below (and many months it’s even higher than that). That’s where they like to keep it, no lower than that. Well, you can see where the water level was on the day I was here … and as mentioned, it would get about 19 feet lower yet before the level started to rise again from rain and snow. There’s a sign right above those drum doors … it says “KEEP OUT, dangerous undercurrents”. Ha, no undercurrents today because there is no water flowing. Also, in the structure up on top of the dam, you can see three small brown rectangles with a tiny white square in each one of them … those are doors, for full-sized human beings. Gives you some perspective. Low water!
As troubling as all of that was for me, and I hope for you too (please let’s help stop climate change), it still was a lovely day. I walked slowly back down that hillside, back down to the bottom of the boat ramp, and then I walked up the boat ramp itself to the top of it to find the view below. I stood there a long time, just loving that view of the lake and the trees and the mountains.
As much as I was concerned about the low water level in Lake Wynoochee, I did have to stop and think again and then I realized that this lake wouldn’t even exist but for the human-made dam, and it was the dam that was interfering with the natural progression of life in this river. So maybe we reduce our need for electricity (solar panels work great!) and we remove the dams and let the rivers return to their normal levels, so they can provide normal habitat for fish and birds and other creatures. And … I will find naturally nature-made lakes to go kayaking on, or find some sheltered bays and coves in the saltwater of Puget Sound to go kayaking on. Oh, that sounds delightful! 🙂
That water looks stink-o, or stink-eye, whatever, it looks awful! Glad you didn’t go kayaking. Feelin sorry for the fish.
I hardly ever hear the term stink-eye anymore, Cindy. My mom and dad used it. And I love it. Thank you!! 🙂 Yep, the fish. 🙁
I too, at first, got angry at climate change, and that surely is a part of everything, but you are absolutely right, WE have contributed to the unhealth of rivers by building dams across them and then mucking them up! so to speak. 🙂 Good on you for re-thinking. In the end, that was a beautiful day with such a beautiful view of the lake and the mountains. Gorgeous photos!
Right on, Ben, we need to figure out where we have contributed to problems, and then fix those things. But we also need to find beautiful days with beautiful views and just appreciate them. Thank you for a really nice comment.
Gorgeous lake and view of the lower mountains. Wish the sky had been clear enough to see the higher Olympics themselves. And really glad you didn’t go kayaking! Nice share about all your thoughts here. 🙂 Thanks.
Thanks Eileen. A couple of my neighbor campers told me that, when the sky is clear, you can see the Olympic Mountains to the north across the lake. Oh I hope I do one of these days. So far, on my two camping trips here, I haven’t seen them … yet. But I will, and there will be photos coming when I do. 🙂
That’s a small dam! I’ve read that the state of Washington has more of these small dams than any other state does because you have more water/rivers. But dang if the dams are causing problems then yes maybe they should be removed. Solar, but also wind generation is easy and cheap. What a beautiful day and view up the lake and valley. And nice descriptions of everything. Always fun to read your blog posts. Glad your kayak didn’t get a stick up its bottom. 🙂
Ah yes, I’m always aware of solar, but I sometimes forget wind power generation, Joe, nice reminder. It too is very inexpensive and very efficient. I’m told there are commercial vehicles in France that have small wind generators on their roofs that keep the batteries for their electric motors fully charged. You don’t need wind … they charge from the wind generation from the movement of the vehicle. Why are we not doing that here in the USA?! On trucks, and trains, on homes, and cars. Why doesn’t every car have a solar panel on its roof?
🙂 Me too, glad my kayak bottom didn’t get a stick up its bottom.
Yikes, I remember being with Ann at Lake Wynoochee years ago — wonderful being in the “woods.” Sure sorry you couldn’t use your kayak, Ann! I want to digress a bit and remind everyone here about another woods location – at Elbe, WA, just before the SW entry to Mt. Rainier. Recently, as a treat for me, Ann took me to an Iron Art exhibit there. She wrote a blog post about her visit there a few years ago, with lots of good photos. Horses, birds, characters, vehicles – all very cleverly welded from a zillion horse shoes, sheet metal, tools, parts from vehicles, etc. What an imagination, what a lot of hard work! I recommend having a look again at that blog post of hers, and traveling there if you can. Thanks, Ann, for sharing your world with all of us.
Jan, I sure remember the day when you and I took the big white truck and drove out/up to Wynoochee to explore, my first time out there. That was a great day! And thank you so much for reminding everyone of my first visit to the Iron Art exhibit. I hope everyone who lives anywhere near it takes the time to go there, less than 3 miles from Elbe, on the way to Mt. Rainier, just sayin’. 🙂 “Recycled Spirits of Iron”. Thank you Jan. And here’s to you and me and our friendship and many more explorations and discoveries!
When you were here before a few years ago, you showed us the other side of the dam yes? The “down” side the out-flow side, whatever it’s called, right? I’m sorry the water was so low and icky on this trip that you didn’t go kayaking, but it’s interesting to see the “up” side, the lake side, of the dam when the water is so low.
Yes, good memory, Nebraska. My blog post of the first time I was here showed photos of the “down”side of the dam, where the water is released from the lake. Hmmm, I wonder what dam people call those two sides of the dam … “down” side and “up” side. More research! 🙂
Wynoochee … what does Wynoochee mean and where did it come from? You forgot to tell us! 🙂 Tell us and we will magically make the water rise! And if you believe that, then I have a bridge to sell you. 🙂 Love your blog. Love the dam info. Love your photos.
I sure did forget to do that, Nevada. Mea culpa! 🙂 Ok, next blog post coming this Friday and the info will be there, and I expect the water to rise! Love your dam comments. 🙂
The low water level is very disturbing! I’ve read that there is very little snowpack all over the western U.S., and if that’s the case we’re in for a difficult summer. In turn that will lead to more calls for transfer of Canada’s wealth of water! This could cause all kinds of political problems. Here in Ontario many of the small dams have been removed.
Yes, low snowpack this year, and less than the year before, etc. It is changing too rapidly. Sure change happens, but it should take thousands or millions of years, not just in a few decades. And you’ll read Henry’s comment below about reports of Canada’s water resources … I’ve heard the same … that the country with the most fresh ground-water water will win, as it were. And that is Canada! I hope we can change things before it comes to that. All of my grandparents were Canadian. But, more than that, I want peace and health for the whole world. Let’s do what we can. Thanks FG.
Brilliant report and photos. Kayaking was “not in the cards” as my chum William says. Looking on the internet, we found there are 1,300 dams in Washington, and 1,100 in England, an interesting thought. We have read that Canada has more fresh water than any other country.
Ah yes “not in the cards” … that’s a common saying here in the USA. William is a smart fellow. 🙂
I just now looked up the area (in square miles) of Washington State vs. England … thinking that England must be much larger than just one state in the USA. But no! Square miles of England is 51,325. Square miles of Washington State, all by itself, is 71,362. So maybe there’s no surprise that Washington has more hydro dams than England does.
I always like the comments from you and your chums, Henry. Good information and thoughts, always appreciated. Cheers!
Always something to learn. And always a wonderful story and excellent photos. 🙂 Thank you.
You are always welcome Jamie. 🙂 Glad you’re here.