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Lake Wenatchee is a large, steep-sided lake located 15 miles north of Leavenworth in the Wenatchee National Forest. It is fed principally by the Little Wenatchee River and the White River, and drains to the Wenatchee River. There is a large wetland at the northeast end of the lake.
Size (acres) 2480 Maximum Depth (feet) 244 Mean Depth (feet) 147 Lake Volume (acre-feet) 364560 Drainage Area (square miles) 273.00 Altitude (feet) 1875 Shoreline Length (miles) 13.3
Source of morphometric data: Water Supply Bulletins 42, 43, and 57.
VOLUNTEER-COLLECTED SECCHI DATA ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Date Temperature Water %Cloud Recent Secchi Lake (Y/M/D) (C) (F) pH Color Cover Rain Wind (ft) Ht(in) Abbrev. Comments ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ STATION 1 97/06/18 13.3 55.9 Lt Brown 0 None Strong 20.0 0.0 WIND WAS CALM IN THE MORNING AND STRONG IN THE AFTERNOON. 97/07/03 14.7 58.5 Undefined 0 None Light 19.0 0.0 WATER IS COLORED LIGHT GREENISH BROWN. 97/07/16 15.0 59.0 Undefined 50 Light Light 16.0 0.0 LOTS OF DUST ON THE WATER. STIRRED UP BY THE WIND. LATE SPRING CONDITIONS 25-30 DAYS BEHIND SCHEDULE. 97/07/28 15.6 60.1 Lt Green 0 None Calm 18.0 0.0 WATER GETS DUST ON SURFACE WHEN WINDY. DUST ON BOTTM FROM STORM IN '95 97/08/15 16.7 62.1 Lt Green 0 None Calm 22.6 0.0 97/08/29 15.0 59.0 Undefined 90 Calm 26.0 0.0 WATER WAS LIME GREEN. 97/09/01 16.7 62.1 Lt Green 0 None Calm 26.0 0.0 97/09/17 16.1 61.0 Lt Green 10 Light Calm 27.5 0.0 97/09/29 15.6 60.1 Lt Green 0 Light Calm 26.5 0.0 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
LABORATORY RESULTS ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Total Total Fecal Col. Bacteria Turb- Suspended Solids Phosphorus Nitrogen Chlorophyll (colonies/100 mL) idity Total Non-Volatile Color Date Strata (ug/L) (mg/L) (ug/L) Site 1 Site 2 (NTU) (mg/L) (mg/L) (Pt-Co) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ STATION 1 97/05/27 E 4 1U 2 97/05/27 H 6 97/08/29 E 5 1.7J 97/08/29 H 4 ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ E=epilimnion composite, H=hypolimnion composite. Remarks codes: U = Below detection limits; J = Estimate.
SUMMARY OF VOLUNTEER SURVEY WATER QUALITY----------------------------------------------------------------------- Overall water quality was excellent. The worst problems were reported as: 1. high water levels Sources of actual or potential problems includes: NONE Were there days (and how many) when poor water quality impaired Fishing - NO(0) Swimming - NO(0) Aesthetics - NO(0) MANAGEMENT-------------------------------------------------------------------------- Did the lake receive chemical treatments this year? NO Were fish stocked this year? YES Any lake groups present (such as a lake association)? YES Any lake management activities this year? NO OTHER------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How many homes/new homes are there on the lake shore?~ 170 Changes since last year? NONE Lake Uses and Facilities at the lake include: swimming fishing motor boating jet skiing camping hunting picnic facilities parks The percent of the lakeshore that is sewered: 100 The number of storm drains leading to the lake: 0 Motor boat restrictions include: no wake restriction 4 MPH UP RIVERS - WHITE AND LITTLE WENATCHEE.
FIELD OBSERVATIONS OF ECOLOGY STAFF According to volunteer: Peak water levels occured 29May97 at 3ft higher than normal high water; Lake was sewered in ~1989; in 1995, flooding overflowed and flooded septic tanks which have since been sealed to prevent a reoccurance. High winds and rain prior to summer sampling; water level higher than normal and lake cooler than normal this year.
TROPHIC STATUS Estimated Trophic State: Oligotrophic Mean Trophic State Index (Secchi): 32 (Oligotrophic) Mean Trophic State Index (Total Phosphorus): 27 (Oligotrophic) Mean Trophic State Index (Chlorophyll a): 36J* (Oligotrophic) *The calculated TSI is an estimate. The Secchi disk hit bottom (B), entered the weeds (W), or there were too few valid readings (N), or the calculation was based on qualified data (J), or TSIP was based on spring data (S).
SUMMARY AND EXPLANATION OF TROPHIC STATE ASSESSMENT All data and observations support an oligotrophic assessment.
COMMENTS FROM 94/09/01 AQUATIC PLANT SURVEY sunny, windy by afternoon. boated along entire western shore, and walked along part of the eastern shore. Maximum depth of plant growth: 5.0M.
AQUATIC PLANT LIST (This list may be from multiple years and sources.) Eleocharis sp. (spike-rush) Elodea canadensis (common elodea) Elodea nuttallii (Nuttall's waterweed) Elodea sp. (waterweed) Equisetum sp. (horse tail) Isoetes sp. (quillwort) Juncus sp. or Eleocharis sp. (small grass-like plants) Myriophyllum sp. (water-milfoil) Nitella sp. (stonewort) Nuphar polysepala (spatter-dock, yellow water-lily) Potamogeton epihydrus (ribbonleaf pondweed) Potamogeton praelongus (whitestem pondweed) Potamogeton robbinsii (fern leaf pondweed) Ranunculus aquatilis (water-buttercup) Sparganium angustifolium (narrowleaf bur-reed) Subularia aquatica (awlwort) unknown plant (unknown)
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