Colchuck Lake is a freshwater reservoir lake located on the western slope of The Enchantments, in Chelan County, Washington.[3][1] The lake is located approximately 15 miles from the city of Leavenworth, Washington and sits on the southeast corner of the Icicle Creek subbasin. It is accessed by a 4-mile trail that starts at USFS Road 7601 as it crosses over Eightmile Creek and makes a turn towards the Stuart and Culchuck Lake Trailhead where the road ends.[4] The origin of the word comes from Chinook Jargonkol + cak to mean cold waters.[5][6]
Colchuck Lake
Aasgard Pass (left) and Dragontail Peak center above Colchuck Lake
Icicle Irrigation District applied in 1926 for the right to divert water from Colchuck Lake at a rate of 50 cfs (cubic feet per second), 2,500 acre-feet per year for seasonal irrigation purposes.[1]: 9 The State Supervisor of Hydraulics issued Permit Number 828 in January 1927 for the requested amount. The irrigation district also sought permission to raise the lake levels because of inadequate summer flows for irrigation. The Department of Public Lands approved this request in a 1927 order that allowed the irrigation district to inundate lakeshores on the lake.[1]: 9
Hydrology
Colchuck Lake has an area of approximately 87.8 acres (0.355 km2) and a maximum surface elevation of 5,570 feet above sea level, depending on the fluctuation of the depth of the lake. The lake has a tributary basin of 941 acres (3.81 km2) acres, and an average storage capacity estimated at 1,570 acre-feet.[1]: 27
Dam
Colchuck Lake is contained by a masonry dam constructed in the late 1930s out of cement with a spillway opening at the center of the dam to control overflow. Operation of flow through the outlet is controlled by a valve located 20 feet (6.1 m) south of the spillway supported by a concrete pedestal that rises 2 feet above high water level. The depth to the gate from the top of the concrete pedestal is approximately 16 feet (4.9 m).[1]: 27-32 The gate allows for water discharge through the low-level outlet pipe to an unnamed creek, which flows into Mountaineer Creek, a tributary of Icicle Creek.[1]: 32
Geography
Colchuck Lake sits in a basin consisting of rocky soils and igneous tonalite geology. The bedrock is about 3 feet from the surface and mapped as granites of the Mount Stuart Batholith (Mesozoic intrusive rocks) and ultramafic/metamorphic of the Ingalls Tectonic Complex (Mesozoic-Paleozoic ultramafic rocks).[7][3] The trail to the lake consists of sandy loam the first half and boulders added in the second half of the trajectory.
Uses
Colchuck Lake is managed by the Icicle and Peshastin Irrigation Districts (IPID) to provide water storage for irrigation.[1]: 7 The lake captures water runoff at the far southeast of a 3,800-acre drainage basin which gives the lake a high potential for refill, even during dry years. The reservoir is contained by a small dam consisting of a rock and masonry structure with stop logs and an earthen embankment section that extends from the rock-masonry/concrete structure to the hillside north of the dam. The dam is fitted with a low-level outlet pipeline and a slide gate at the outlet of the lake. This infrastructure allows for controlled releases of stored water to supplement flows into Icicle Creek through its outflowing tributaries and increase the water supply available during low flow periods, which typically occur during the late summer.[8]
On August 11, 2017 lightning caused by a cold frontal passage that tracked through the Alpine Lakes Wilderness started a fire about 15 miles southwest of Leavenworth, Washington.[9] The fire expanded into the Eightmile Lake, Stuart Lake and Colchuck drainages burning to the shoreline and damaging a large percentage of the lake's watershed.[10]
Access
Lake Stuart-Colchuck Lake intersection.
The foot trail starts at the trailhead at the end of USFS Road 7601 becoming Stuart Lake Trail #1599. The trail eventually crosses over Mountaineer Creek about 1.5 miles from the trailhead by way of a wooden bridge.[11] The trail will fork in two less than a mile from the bridge, to the right is the trail to Stuart Lake and to the left is Colchuck Lake Trail #1599.1 towards Colchuck Lake. The trail has a second bridge over Mountaineer Creek shortly after the split fork.
Self-issued Alpine Lake Wilderness permit is required for transit within the Colchuck Lake area.[12]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colchuck Lake.
References
^ abcdefgh"Alpine Lake Optimization and Automation" (PDF). : Chelan County Natural Resources Department. 20 March 2015. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
^*U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Colchuck Lake
^ ab"Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement" (PDF). Chelan County and Ecology’s Office of Columbia River. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
^Kriloff, Paul. "Colchuck Lake". Washington Trails Association. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
^Birght, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 115. ISBN0806135980.
^Barnes, Jeremy and Nathan (2019). Alpine Lakes Wilderness: The Complete Hiking Guide. Mountaineers Books. ISBN1680510789.
^Schuster, J Eric. "File Geodatabase Feature Class". Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geology and Earth Resources. Retrieved 10 March 2021. Enumerated domain value: MZPZu; Enumerated domain value definition: Mesozoic-Paleozoic ultramafic rocks. Enumerated domain value definition source: Geologic map of Washington (Schuster, 2005). Enumerated domain value: MZv; Enumerated domain value definition: Mesozoic volcanic rocks. Enumerated domain value definition source: Geologic map of Washington (Schuster, 2005)
^Icicle and Peshastin Irrigation Districts (April 2018). "Eightmile Lake Storage Restoration Feasibility Study" (PDF). Chelan County Natural Resources Department. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^"Post-Fire BAER Assessment Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Information Brief". Central Washington Fire Recovery. United States Forest Service. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
^"Sept 26 Fire Update and trail closure reduction - InciWeb the Incident Information System". InciWeb. United States Forest Service. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
^"Colchuck Lake". Leavenworth.org. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
^. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 16 July 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
January 28, 2023
colchuck, lake, freshwater, reservoir, lake, located, western, slope, enchantments, chelan, county, washington, lake, located, approximately, miles, from, city, leavenworth, washington, sits, southeast, corner, icicle, creek, subbasin, accessed, mile, trail, t. Colchuck Lake is a freshwater reservoir lake located on the western slope of The Enchantments in Chelan County Washington 3 1 The lake is located approximately 15 miles from the city of Leavenworth Washington and sits on the southeast corner of the Icicle Creek subbasin It is accessed by a 4 mile trail that starts at USFS Road 7601 as it crosses over Eightmile Creek and makes a turn towards the Stuart and Culchuck Lake Trailhead where the road ends 4 The origin of the word comes from Chinook Jargon kol cak to mean cold waters 5 6 Colchuck LakeAasgard Pass left and Dragontail Peak center above Colchuck LakeColchuck LakeShow map of Washington state Colchuck LakeShow map of the United StatesLocationChelan County Washington United StatesCoordinates47 29 52 N 120 51 13 W 47 4976478 N 120 8534945 W 47 4976478 120 8534945 Coordinates 47 29 52 N 120 51 13 W 47 4976478 N 120 8534945 W 47 4976478 120 8534945Primary outflowsMountaineer creekBasin countriesUnited StatesSurface area87 8 acres 0 355 km2 1 27 Surface elevation5 574 ft 1 699 m 2 Contents 1 History 2 Hydrology 2 1 Dam 3 Geography 4 Uses 5 2017 fire 6 Access 7 See also 8 ReferencesHistory EditIcicle Irrigation District applied in 1926 for the right to divert water from Colchuck Lake at a rate of 50 cfs cubic feet per second 2 500 acre feet per year for seasonal irrigation purposes 1 9 The State Supervisor of Hydraulics issued Permit Number 828 in January 1927 for the requested amount The irrigation district also sought permission to raise the lake levels because of inadequate summer flows for irrigation The Department of Public Lands approved this request in a 1927 order that allowed the irrigation district to inundate lakeshores on the lake 1 9 Hydrology EditColchuck Lake has an area of approximately 87 8 acres 0 355 km2 and a maximum surface elevation of 5 570 feet above sea level depending on the fluctuation of the depth of the lake The lake has a tributary basin of 941 acres 3 81 km2 acres and an average storage capacity estimated at 1 570 acre feet 1 27 Dam Edit Colchuck Lake is contained by a masonry dam constructed in the late 1930s out of cement with a spillway opening at the center of the dam to control overflow Operation of flow through the outlet is controlled by a valve located 20 feet 6 1 m south of the spillway supported by a concrete pedestal that rises 2 feet above high water level The depth to the gate from the top of the concrete pedestal is approximately 16 feet 4 9 m 1 27 32 The gate allows for water discharge through the low level outlet pipe to an unnamed creek which flows into Mountaineer Creek a tributary of Icicle Creek 1 32 Geography EditColchuck Lake sits in a basin consisting of rocky soils and igneous tonalite geology The bedrock is about 3 feet from the surface and mapped as granites of the Mount Stuart Batholith Mesozoic intrusive rocks and ultramafic metamorphic of the Ingalls Tectonic Complex Mesozoic Paleozoic ultramafic rocks 7 3 The trail to the lake consists of sandy loam the first half and boulders added in the second half of the trajectory Uses EditColchuck Lake is managed by the Icicle and Peshastin Irrigation Districts IPID to provide water storage for irrigation 1 7 The lake captures water runoff at the far southeast of a 3 800 acre drainage basin which gives the lake a high potential for refill even during dry years The reservoir is contained by a small dam consisting of a rock and masonry structure with stop logs and an earthen embankment section that extends from the rock masonry concrete structure to the hillside north of the dam The dam is fitted with a low level outlet pipeline and a slide gate at the outlet of the lake This infrastructure allows for controlled releases of stored water to supplement flows into Icicle Creek through its outflowing tributaries and increase the water supply available during low flow periods which typically occur during the late summer 8 2017 fire EditMain article Jack Creek Fire On August 11 2017 lightning caused by a cold frontal passage that tracked through the Alpine Lakes Wilderness started a fire about 15 miles southwest of Leavenworth Washington 9 The fire expanded into the Eightmile Lake Stuart Lake and Colchuck drainages burning to the shoreline and damaging a large percentage of the lake s watershed 10 Access Edit Lake Stuart Colchuck Lake intersection The foot trail starts at the trailhead at the end of USFS Road 7601 becoming Stuart Lake Trail 1599 The trail eventually crosses over Mountaineer Creek about 1 5 miles from the trailhead by way of a wooden bridge 11 The trail will fork in two less than a mile from the bridge to the right is the trail to Stuart Lake and to the left is Colchuck Lake Trail 1599 1 towards Colchuck Lake The trail has a second bridge over Mountaineer Creek shortly after the split fork Self issued Alpine Lake Wilderness permit is required for transit within the Colchuck Lake area 12 See also EditList of lakes of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Colchuck Balanced Rock Wikimedia Commons has media related to Colchuck Lake References Edit a b c d e f g h Alpine Lake Optimization and Automation PDF Chelan County Natural Resources Department 20 March 2015 Retrieved 10 March 2021 U S Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System Colchuck Lake a b Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement PDF Chelan County and Ecology s Office of Columbia River Retrieved 10 March 2021 Kriloff Paul Colchuck Lake Washington Trails Association Retrieved 10 March 2021 Birght William 2004 Native American Placenames of the United States University of Oklahoma Press p 115 ISBN 0806135980 Barnes Jeremy and Nathan 2019 Alpine Lakes Wilderness The Complete Hiking Guide Mountaineers Books ISBN 1680510789 Schuster J Eric File Geodatabase Feature Class Washington State Department of Natural Resources Division of Geology and Earth Resources Retrieved 10 March 2021 Enumerated domain value MZPZu Enumerated domain value definition Mesozoic Paleozoic ultramafic rocks Enumerated domain value definition source Geologic map of Washington Schuster 2005 Enumerated domain value MZv Enumerated domain value definition Mesozoic volcanic rocks Enumerated domain value definition source Geologic map of Washington Schuster 2005 Icicle and Peshastin Irrigation Districts April 2018 Eightmile Lake Storage Restoration Feasibility Study PDF Chelan County Natural Resources Department Retrieved 9 March 2021 Post Fire BAER Assessment Burned Area Emergency Response BAER Information Brief Central Washington Fire Recovery United States Forest Service Retrieved 16 May 2018 Sept 26 Fire Update and trail closure reduction InciWeb the Incident Information System InciWeb United States Forest Service Retrieved 16 May 2018 Colchuck Lake Leavenworth org Retrieved 10 March 2021 Colchuck Lake Trail 1599A United States Department of Agriculture Archived from the original on 16 July 2022 Retrieved 11 March 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint bot original URL status unknown link Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Colchuck Lake amp oldid 1104132333, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
