For additional questions, please contact:Nathaniel Jones, Facilities Division

Phone: 360-902-0944 • E-mail: njones@ga.wa.gov CLAMP Fact Sheet #7

How Did We Get Here?

Summer 2007

How Did We Get Here? continued

The history of Capitol Lake began in 1855 when the The history of Capitol Lake began in 1855 when the Tterritorial legislature accepted an offer of 12 acres Tterritorial legislature accepted an offer of 12 acres Tof land by Olympia’s founder, Edmund Sylvester, for the site of the capitol. This land was located on a bluff bordered by tidelands. In 1911, the State Capitol Commission conducted a design competition for Washington’s capitol building and selected the Wilder and White plan for a grouping of buildings on the bluff overlooking the city and Puget Sound.Their Plan called for access to the capitol group from the north, stating that the city should move toward providing “...a fi ne boulevard...connecting the three distinctive ridges contained in the city limits, and giving access to the coast towns. On the axis of the capitol a fi ne approach from this boulevard to the foot of the steps would be made with a carriage approach on either side, and a boulevard to Tumwater along the water’s edge there connecting without the proposed Pacifi c highway...A tide lock at the Boulevard [to the west] would form a lake and the whole effect would be visible from most parts of the city as well as from the sound.”In 1937 the Legislature took its fi rst action toward the creation of Capitol Lake. It authorized the State

Capitol Committee to 1) develop and extend the state capitol grounds, 2) seek Federal assistance, and 3) made an appropriation of $150,000. The Act called for the improvement of the area then described as the “Des Chutes Water Basin” in Olympia. This water body was to become a part of the capitol by purchasing or condemning tidelands or other shoreline properties.

Creation of Capitol Lake(RCW 79.24.160)

Creation of Capitol Lake(RCW 79.24.160)

Creation of Capitol Lake

1. The acquisition by purchase or condemnation of necessary lands or easements;2. The construction of a dam or weir along the line of Fi� h Avenue in the City of Olympia and a parkway and

railroad over the same;3. The construction of a parkway on the west bank of the Deschutes Basin from the Pacifi c Highway at the Deschutes

River to a connection with the Olympic Highway;4. The construction of a parkway from the vicinity of Ninth Avenue and Columbia Street in the City of Olympia

around the south side of the north Deschutes Basin, using the existing railroad causeway, to a road along Percival Creek and connecting with the Olympic Highway;

5. The preservation of the precipitous banks surrounding the basin by the acquisition of easements or other rights whereby the cu� ing of trees and the building of structures on the banks can be controlled;

6. The construction by dredging of varying level areas at the foot of the bluff s for access to water and to provide for boating and other recreational areas; and

7. Such other undertakings as, in the judgment of the Commi� ee, are necessary to the completion of the project.

The plan called for “submerging of the mud fl ats by the creation of an artifi cial lake through the construction of a dam, bulkhead or spillway near the Fourth Avenue Bridge”. Additional funds were to be sought from the Federal government and the Committee was “to [do] all things necessary to fulfi ll the purpose of this plan”. The idea of creating a lake received popular support at that time. The plans for a freshwater lake, dam, and connecting road system were seen a way of improving the community. Permit applications were made, and public hearings were conducted, with the only controversy being from the City of Tumwater and barge towing companies who had access to the Old Olympia Brewery. Action to construct the lake was suspended at the onset of World War II.After the war the vision re-emerged with the State Capitol Committee approving the Deschutes Basin Project. The July 7, 1948 Daily Olympian indicated that “the area [Little Hollywood] has long been considered by Olympians as an eye-sore. Now it will be replaced with a clear beautiful fresh water lake with mirrored refl ections of the Capitol building dome and the spires of the tall stately trees for which the Evergreen State is noted.”In 1947, Governor Monrad C. Wallgren initiated the Project by declaring an emergency to get the project started and authorized the issuance of bonds.

The State submitted an application to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on June 1, 1948 for approval to construct a 230,000 cubic yard earth dam at the north end of the basin (5th Avenue) with an 80 foot concrete spillway structure. Along with the dam, the request was made to construct an earth fi ll of 186,500 cubic yards along the westerly shore for Deschutes Parkway and an additional earth fi ll of 375,000 cubic yards at the northeast end of the basin, where Olympia’s former Capitol Lake Park was located. This request was subsequently approved by the Corps on February 4, 1949, and construction was completed on October 10, 1951.

Wilder and White Campus Design, 1911.

Construction of the Capitol Lake Dam, 1950-51. Courtesy of the Washington State Archives, Susan Parish Collection.

Construction of Deschutes Parkway, 1950-51. Courtesy of the Washington State Archives, Susan Parish Collection.

“Li� le Hollywood” c. 1930s. Courtesy of the Washington State Archives, Susan Parish Collection.

LeopoldSchmidtconstructstheOlympia Brewery nearTumwater Falls

Olympia constructsa concrete 4th Avenue Bridge

Olympia constructsCapitolLake Park with swim-ming area

GAinitiates“Save a BeautifulLake”program

GA dredges South Basin and Middle Basin

Northern Pacific Railroad (now Burlington Northern Santa Fe) crosses Budd Inlet at the base of the future West Campus

Wilder and Whiterevise the originalCapitolCampusPlan

Stateinitiatesactions to create the lake

CorpsconstructsCapitolLake dam, 5th Avenue, andDeschutesParkway

WDFW constructsfishladders at Tumwater Falls and on Percival Creek

Olympia connects5th Avenue atDeschutesParkway to WestOlympia

GArebuildsDeschutesParkway afterdamagefrom the earthquake

WDFW begins to raise salmon in PercivalCove

GA uses dredge spoils to create dike and de-watering basin at future Capitol Lake Interpreta-tive Center site

WSDOT widens Interstate 5 andrebuilds the Highway 101 inter-change

Olympia closes the CapitolLake Park swimming area

EdmundSylvester donates 12 acres on Budd Inlet for the WashingtonStateCapitol

Wilder and White plan for theCapitolCampuscompleted

Northern PacificRailroadrebuildstrestle

Stateauthorizesconstruc-tion of CapitolLake

Olympia constructsthe first waste-water treatmentfacility on PugetSound - Tumwater & Olympia Brewery connect 3 years later

WSDOT constructstheInterstate 5 andHighway 101Interchange

GA creates shorelinepark in NorthBasin, laterrenamed“Marathon Park”

Tumwater uses dredge spoils to createTumwater Historical Park

First Women’sMarathonTrials end atMarathonPark

1855 1891 1906 1911 1912 1920 1929 1937 1948 1951 1952 1954 1957-58 1958 1964 1965 1969 1971 1974 1979 1983-92 1984 1985

1986 1988 1991 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007GAconstructsCapitolLake Inter-pretativeCenter

Olympia and GA swapproperty at Capitol Lake Park

OlympiaconstructsHeritageParkFountain

GA constructs Heritage Park - Arc of Statehood in the North Basin and creates a wetland mitigation site at the de-watering basin in the Middle Basin

GA and Olympia coordinate street improvements to 5th

Avenue, Heritage Fountain, Water Street, and 7th Avenue

WSDOT repairs earthquake damage to Deschutes Parkway

GA completes the Washington State Law Enforcement Memorial overlooking Heritage Park

GA dredgesMiddleBasin

SCCadopts theHeritageParkMasterPlan

GA acquires land for Heritage Park from the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad

Permitsissued for HeritagePark

GA adopts Capitol Lake Adaptive Management Plan (CLAMP) for 1999-2001

LOTT Alliance rebuilds pedestrian bridge adjacent to the RR trestle

LOTT Alliance installs the Southern Connec-tion Interceptor under Deschutes Parkway

GA repairs the Heritage Park Hillside Trail

GAinstallsgrass and basicutilities at HeritagePark

WDFWadds net pens to PercivalCove

GA and Tumwater repair flood damage to Tumwater Historical Park

LOTT Alliance repairs Tumwater sewer interceptor from landslide along rail line

Initial Capitol Lake Adaptive Management Plan (CLAMP) steering committee meeting

SCC adopts the CapitolLake AdaptiveManagement Plan (CLAMP) 2003-2013, without the Deschutes Estuary Feasibility Study management objective

Olympia rebuilds the 4th

Avenue Bridge GA repairs Marathon Park and Capitol Lake Interpretative Center

Olympia and the LOTT Alliance provide reclaimed water to Heritage Park and Deschutes Parkway for irrigation

GA opens a temporaryHeritage Park switchback trail on hillside to West Campus

Nisqually Earthquakedamages Deschutes Parkway, shoreline parks, and the 4th

Avenue Bridge

GA installs county plaques around the Arc of Statehood

GA treats the lake for Eurasian water milfoil

GA and LOTT Alliancemonitor the effects of the summer drawdown of the lake

GA buries county time capsules in Heritage Park at the Eastern Washington Butte

SCC authorizes the Deschutes Estuary Feasibility Study as a part of the CLAMP Ten-Year Plan

WSDOT replants the wetland mitigation site in the Middle Basin

Capitol Lake - Events and Facilities

Corps = U.S. Army Corps of EngineersGA = General AdministrationSCC = State Capitol CommitteeWDFW = Washington Department of Fish and WildlifeWSDOT = Washington State Department of Transportation