The Canal That Would Drain Lake Washington

To the amount of over a quarter of a million dollars has already been secured toward the building of the canal, and the citizens now expect that the entire amount will soon be raised. As yet the people of the Duwamish valley and those who own property along the shores of Lake Washington have not shown by any liberal effort. It is to be hoped they will come forward with generous pledges, for they will be more directly benefited by the digging of the canal than many who have already contributed liberally. The canal will drain the surplus waters of the lake and keep it at a little below what is now low-water mark, relieving the Duwamish and all the valley of water which every spring deluges the valley farms.

It has been estimated that over 1,000 acres of land in the Duwamish valley, in the slough country, and over 1,500 acres along the shores of Lake Washington will be redeemed. This land is covered with water every year, and is thus rendered useless for anything except late pasturage and wild hay; but with the canal to drain the watershed of the lake, every acre, rich in sod, will be opened for general agricultural purposes.

From a conservative estimate the actual property frontage of Lake Washington, including Mercer Island, is eighty miles. The lake has an average annual rise of about six feet, and the vast marsh bottoms in the numerous arms and bays will be drained with the building of the canal, and the area of land redeemed for building and agricultural purposes, while difficult to estimate, is well worth considering. These lands, including the 2,000 acres mentioned in the Duwamish valley, now bear only about three months of the year, will be completely redeemed and thoroughly drained. In years past, when the melting snows have raised the lake to such a height that the Black and Puyallup river valleys are filled with water, meadows, hop and grain fields and orchards have been turned into lakes. It does not require a very good memory to recall the time when most of the towns along the valley were flooded, and the inhabitants were obliged to go about the streets in boats, while stock was drowned and buildings floated away. To people living in these vicinities it must be pleasing to know that with the building of the canal there will be no recurrences of this character.