Black Lake (Washington)

Black Lake
Black Lake
Location of Black Lake in Washington state
LocationNear Lacey, Olympia, Tumwater
Coordinates46°59′31″N 122°58′41″W / 46.992°N 122.978°W / 46.992; -122.978[1]
TypeLake
Surface area573.7 acres (232.2 ha)
Surface elevation130 ft (40 m)

Black Lake is a lake located about 4 miles (6.4 km) southwest of Olympia, Washington.[2][3] It has two outflows via Black River, which drains southwest into the Chehalis River and thence to Gray's Harbor and the Pacific Ocean, and Percival Creek, which drains northeast into Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet and Puget Sound.[4]

Black Lake was so named on account of the dark character of its water.[5] The nearby community of Belmore lies east of the lake.

Ecology

Filtered runoff gathered at Yauger Park water retention ponds complex in West Olympia is released into Black Lake Ditch. The naturally cleaned waters run from Percival Creek to Capitol Lake and eventually into the Salish Sea.[6]

History

One of the first settlers of the area was William Oaks Thompson[7] (a.k.a. Black Lake Thompson),[8] arriving from Cincinnati and setting up a home on the west shore of the lake in 1852.[9][10] Thompson went on to develop the first road to Tumwater, a trail to Bush Prairie, and operated a scow ferry across the lake for travelers to Gate, Grand Mound, and Mima Prairie.[11]

During the 1900,[12] 1910,[13] 1920,[14] and 1940[15] United States censuses, there was a Black Lake precinct in Thurston county. It does not appear as a place category in the 1930 United States census.

In the early 1920s, Black Lake Ditch was created to connect Black River to Percival Creek,[16][17] which was estimated to lower the lake's water level by at least 5 feet (1.5 m).[18]

Recreation

The lake's freshwater beach is accessible through Kenneydell Park, which offers a public dock, picnic and swimming areas.[19]

References

  1. ^ "Black Lake Topo Map, Thurston County WA (Maytown Area)".
  2. ^ "Black Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  3. ^ "Lowland lakes". Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  4. ^ "Black River / Chehalis Watershed". Capitol Land Trust. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  5. ^ "Thurston County Place Names: A Heritage Guide" (PDF). Thurston County Historical Commission. 1992. p. 6. Retrieved 28 March 2018.
  6. ^ Susan McCleary; Jessica Sandoval; Max Lambert; Claire Kerwin (Summer 2024). "Salamanders, Stormwater, and Skateboards: The Ecological Marvel of Yauger Park". Salish Magazine. No. 24. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  7. ^ "Washington Territory Donation Land Claim Patents, 1851-1903 - Thompson - William - Oaks". Washington State Archives. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  8. ^ "City and Country". Washington Standard. July 23, 1909. p. 3. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  9. ^ "Thurston County Pioneers - William O. Thompson". Washington Rural Heritage. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  10. ^ "Deaths of Past Week - William O. Thompson". Washington Standard. August 17, 1917. p. 8. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  11. ^ Markham, John (1998-03-31). Memories, Oral history of the Black Lake area, Thurston County, Washington, USA, ca. 1850 to 1950. p. 2.
  12. ^ "United States Census, 1900". FamilySearch.org. NARA microfilm publication T623. 1900. pp. 12–14. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  13. ^ "United States Census, 1910". FamilySearch.org. NARA microfilm publication T624. 1910. pp. 1–4. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  14. ^ "United States Census, 1920". FamilySearch.org. NARA microfilm publication T625. 1920. pp. 1–4. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  15. ^ "United States Census, 1940". FamilySearch.org. Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. 1940. pp. 1–11. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  16. ^ "Black River / Chehalis Watershed". Capitol Land Trust. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  17. ^ "Black Lake Basin Study". Thurston County. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
  18. ^ "Percival Creek Gets Water Flow from Black Lake". Washington Standard. Washington State Library. April 8, 1921. p. 6. Retrieved July 1, 2025.
  19. ^ "Kenneydell Park". Thurston County. Retrieved June 30, 2025.
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