Lake Marcel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Marcel |
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 Lake Marcel
Location in Washington (state)
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| Location | King County, Washington, United States |
| Coordinates | 47°41′38″N 121°54′54″W / 47.69389°N 121.91500°W Lake; 47°41′35″N 121°55′4″W / 47.69306°N 121.91778°W Dam and reservoir 47°41′40″N 121°55′16″W / 47.69444°N 121.92111°W Populated place; 47°41′33″N 121°54′54″W / 47.69250°N 121.91500°W Census Designated Place |
| Type | lake, reservoir |
| Primary inflows | Stillwater Creek |
| Primary outflows | Stillwater Creek |
| Catchment area | 1,290 acres (520 ha) |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface area | 33 acres (13 ha) |
| Max. depth | 17 ft (5.2 m) |
| Surface elevation | 295 ft (90 m) |
| Settlements | Carnation |
Lake Marcel is a private reservoir (a human-made lake) and a community. It is located near Carnation, in King County, Washington, United States. This area sits in the foothills of the beautiful Cascade Mountains.
Lake Marcel covers about 33 acres (13 hectares). It is fed by a large area of land, called a watershed, which is about 1,290 acres (5.2 square kilometers). At its deepest point, Lake Marcel is about 17 feet (5.2 meters) deep.
The lake is about 295 feet (90 meters) above sea level. It sits in a natural dip at the top of Stillwater Hill. This is on the east side of the Snoqualmie Valley, just north of Carnation. Lake Marcel has two main parts of water connected by a channel. Many peninsulas create a long and interesting shoreline around the lake.
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Understanding the Watershed
A watershed is an area of land where all the water drains into a common point, like a lake or river. For Lake Marcel, there are six streams that flow into it. The biggest one is Stillwater Creek, which starts about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) north of the lake.
Stillwater Creek is also the only stream that flows out of Lake Marcel. It eventually joins the Snoqualmie River. This area is protected by the Stillwater Wildlife Area, which is 456 acres (1.8 square kilometers) big. There is also the Stillwater Natural Area, which is 44 acres (0.18 square kilometers) and owned by King County.
Lake Marcel is the third largest lake in the Carnation area by its surface size. Lake Joy is the biggest at 105 acres (0.42 square kilometers), and Lake Langlois is 39 acres (0.16 square kilometers). However, Lake Marcel has the largest watershed of these three lakes. Its watershed is much bigger than Lake Joy's (468 acres or 1.9 square kilometers) and Lake Langlois's (226 acres or 0.91 square kilometers). This means a lot of land drains water into Lake Marcel.
Lake Marcel's History
Lake Marcel was originally a beaver pond. In the early 1960s, a company called Pyramid Investment Company developed the area around the lake for homes. During this time, an island at the north end of the lake was created by bulldozers.
Around 1963, a special concrete path called a fish ladder was built. This helps fish swim upstream into the lake from Stillwater Creek. An earthen dam was finished in 1964 to help control the lake's water level.
Community Growth Around the Lake
Over the years, the community around Lake Marcel grew. In 1985, a fire station was built near the lake. Today, it is used by the local water district.
In 1989, Stillwater Elementary School opened close to Lake Marcel. This school was named after the historic Stillwater School. It is the only public school in the area that is not part of a city.
The Lake Marcel Dam
A new concrete dam was built in the 1980s by the Lake Marcel Community Club (LMCC). This new dam replaced the older earthen dam. The United States Army Corps of Engineers helped design it.
The Lake Marcel Dam is managed by the Washington State Department of Ecology. It is owned by the members of the LMCC. This is the only dam in the Carnation area.
The dam is 24 feet (7.3 meters) high and 100 feet (30 meters) long. It can hold a lot of water in Lake Marcel, about 350 acre-feet. It can also release a large amount of water, up to 1,300 cubic feet (37 cubic meters) per second.
Local Population
The area right around Lake Marcel is called the Lake Marcel-Stillwater census-designated place (CDP). A CDP is a place that looks like a town but isn't officially a city. It's the only CDP between Carnation and Duvall.
The Lake Marcel-Stillwater CDP is similar in size to nearby communities like Carnation and Fall City. In 2000, Lake Marcel-Stillwater had a population of 1,381 people living in an area of 1.3 square miles (3.4 square kilometers).
Homeowners Association
The Lake Marcel Community Club (LMCC) is like a homeowners association for the area. They make sure that rules are followed on properties around the lake. The LMCC is also in charge of maintaining the dam, the fish ladder, and two private beaches for the community.
