Baker Lake (Washington)

Baker Lake is a lake in northern Washington state in the United States.[1] The lake is situated in the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Baker River valley southwest of North Cascades National Park and is fed by the Baker River along with numerous smaller tributaries. The lake is approximately 10 miles (16 km) north of the town of Concrete, Washington.

Baker Lake
Baker Lake viewed from the eastern slope of the valley, looking southwest
Coordinates48°43′44″N 121°37′45″W
TypeReservoir
Primary inflowsBaker River, Swift Creek, Shannon Creek, Noisy Creek, Park Creek, Anderson Creek, Boulder Creek, Sandy Creek
Primary outflowsBaker River
Catchment area215 square miles (560 km2)
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length9 miles (14 km)
Max. width0.8 miles (1.3 km) max
Surface area4,800 acres (19 km2)
Water volume285,000 acre feet (352,000,000 m3)
Surface elevation705 feet (215 m)
Islands3, unnamed

The lake covers an area of 4,800 acres (19 km2) and holds up to 285,000 acre feet (352,000,000 m3) of water. Water levels fluctuate an average of 39 feet (12 m) annually.[2] Formerly a smaller natural body of water, it was enlarged and raised 312 feet (95 m) in 1959 in conjunction with the construction of the Upper Baker Dam, a concrete gravity hydroelectric dam capable of generating 91 megawatts.[3]

Mount Baker as seen from Baker Lake

Baker Lake is a popular recreational area for fishing, camping, and boating and attracts local residents from adjacent Whatcom and Skagit counties. The Baker Lake area is also home to Swift Creek Campground which features 55 private campsites for tents or RVs, 2 group site as well as a boat ramp and marina. The campground can be found about halfway up on Mt. Baker Lake across from Park Creek. Formerly known as Baker Lake Resort and Tarr's Resort before that.[4] It lies entirely within Mount Baker National Recreation Area.

See also

References
  1. "Baker Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. 1979-09-10. Retrieved 2011-01-17.
  2. "3.3 Water Quantity" (PDF). Baker River Project, FERC No. 2150. Puget Sound Energy. March 2002. Retrieved 2011-01-17.
  3. "Baker River Hydroelectric Project" (PDF). Puget Sound Energy. October 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 January 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
  4. "Swift Creek Campground". Roughin.It. Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2011.
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