Klonaqua Lakes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Klonaqua Lake |
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 Klonaqua Lake
Location in Washington (state)
Klonaqua Lake
Location in the United States
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| Location | Chelan County, Washington, United States |
| Coordinates | 47°35′40″N 121°04′11″W / 47.5945552°N 121.0696165°W |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 66 acres (0.27 km2) |
| Surface elevation | 5,095 ft (1,553 m) |
The Klonaqua Lakes are a group of freshwater lakes located in the beautiful mountains of Washington. You can find them on the western side of a special area called The Enchantments, in Chelan County. These lakes are important because they help store water for local farms. If you want to visit the area around Klonaqua Lakes, you usually need a special permit from the Alpine Lake Wilderness.
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What's in a Name?
The name "Klonaqua Lakes" was given by Albert Hale Sylvester. He was a mapmaker for the United States Geological Survey in the early 1900s. He worked in the North Cascades area. Sylvester combined two words to create the name:
- Klone from the Chinook Jargon language.
- Aqua from the Wenatchi language.
Together, "Klonaqua" means "three waters," which makes sense for a group of lakes!
A Look Back in Time
People have lived in this area for a very long time. Evidence from nearby Snow Lakes shows that Native American groups were here at least 12,000 years ago. Klonaqua Lake is part of the traditional land of the Wenatchi People. They are one of the tribes that make up the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. The land is also within the ceded lands of the Yakama Nation.
In 1926, the Icicle Irrigation District asked for permission to use water from Klonaqua Lakes. They wanted to take about 25 cubic feet of water per second for irrigation during certain seasons. The state approved their request in 1927. The irrigation district also wanted to raise the lake levels. This was because there wasn't enough water in the summer for farming. In October 1927, they got permission to flood parts of the lake's shores to store more water.
The Landscape Around Klonaqua Lakes
Klonaqua Lake sits in a basin, which is like a big bowl in the ground. The soil here is rocky, and the main type of rock is called tonalite. The solid rock beneath the surface is only about 3 feet down. This bedrock is made of granite from the Mount Stuart Batholith and other ancient rocks. The path leading to the lake starts with sandy soil and then becomes rocky with many boulders.
Weather and Climate
The Klonaqua Lakes are in a hemiboreal climate, which means it has cold winters and mild summers. The average temperature is 0°C (32°F). The warmest month is August, with an average temperature of 14°C (57°F). The coldest month is January, with an average of −11°C (12°F).
The area gets a lot of rain, about 1,989 millimeters (78 inches) per year. December is the wettest month, with 265 millimeters (10 inches) of rain. July is the driest month, with only 39 millimeters (1.5 inches) of rain.
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How Klonaqua Lakes Are Used
The Klonaqua Lakes are managed by the Icicle and Peshastin Irrigation Districts (IPID). Their main purpose is to store water for irrigation, which means watering crops. The lake collects water runoff from a large area of about 3,800 acres. This helps the lake refill easily, even during dry years.
Together, Eightmile Lake, Colchuck Lake, and Klonaqua Lake can store a total of 6,600 acre-feet of water. An acre-foot is the amount of water needed to cover one acre of land with water one foot deep. Even more water, about 12,730 acre-feet, can be stored in Snow Lakes.
Both Klonaqua Lakes are held by a small dam. This dam is made of rocks, masonry, and earth. It has special gates that allow water to be released in a controlled way. This helps add water to a small creek that flows into French Creek, and then into Icicle Creek. This controlled release of water is very important during late summer when water levels are usually low.
The 2017 Fire Event
On August 11, 2017, a lightning strike started a large fire. This fire was about 15 miles southwest of Leavenworth, Washington. The fire spread into the areas around Eightmile Lake, Stuart Lake, and Klonaqua Lake. It burned right up to the shoreline and damaged a large part of the land around the lake. This fire might have changed how water flows into the lake in the future.
