{"id":597,"date":"2025-06-03T18:12:31","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T18:12:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/?page_id=597"},"modified":"2025-06-26T19:24:01","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T19:24:01","slug":"lake-washingtons-deep-history","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\/","title":{"rendered":"Lake Washington\u2019s Deep History"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"is-style-default\" id=\"top\">As you gaze across Lake Washington, it\u2019s easy to see the impact of humans on the landscape\u2014but this land was changing long before people arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-highlight-paragraph-grey-background\">Satisfy your curiosity here! Follow your interests by exploring videos, photos, and writing all about the topics on each sign. Looking for a different page? Click here to explore all topics!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-medium\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-h-3-font-size\">What&#8217;s on this page:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-light-purple-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#bulldozers\">Glacial Bulldozers<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-light-purple-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#plugs\">Glacial Plugs<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-light-purple-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#drain\">Draining Lake Washington<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-light-purple-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#restore\">Restoring Wetlands<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-medium\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"bulldozers\">Glacial Bulldozers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Lake Washington sits between the volcanic Cascades to the east and the Olympics to the west. During cool periods of the earth\u2019s history, giant ice sheets slowly creeped south from Canada. The glacier, thousands of feet thick, plowed and crushed its way south through where you stand now. Read a short overview \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/wa100.dnr.wa.gov\/puget-lowland\/how-did-the-puget-lowland-form\">How did the Puget Lowland form?<\/a>\u201d from the Washington DNR or watch this 3-minute video, &#8220;20,000 Years in Puget Sound,&#8221; to see how glaciers shaped the Puget Sound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:33.33%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-ice-sheet-thickness-portrait-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"A giant sheet of glacial ice from the north once covered the Puget Sound. It was About 1000 feet thick in Olympia, 2400 feet in Tacoma, 3400 feet in Seattle and over 4000 feet thick over Whidbey Island. \" class=\"wp-image-599\" style=\"width:300px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-ice-sheet-thickness-portrait-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-ice-sheet-thickness-portrait-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-ice-sheet-thickness-portrait-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-ice-sheet-thickness-portrait-600x750.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-ice-sheet-thickness-portrait.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Can you see the marks running from the top to the bottom in this lidar image of Glacial formations near Snohomish? Explore LIDAR maps like this at the <a href=\"https:\/\/lidarportal.dnr.wa.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Washington Lidar Portal<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\n    <div class=\"responsive-embed widescreen\">\n        <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"20,000 Years in Puget Sound\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Dl2rObdNUFw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>    <\/div>\n\n    \n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-medium\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-highlight-paragraph-primary\"><strong>Q:<\/strong> What kind of marks might a glacier scraping over the surface make?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-medium\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-snohomish-lidar-image-standard-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-600\" style=\"width:450px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-snohomish-lidar-image-standard-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-snohomish-lidar-image-standard-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-snohomish-lidar-image-standard-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-snohomish-lidar-image-standard-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-snohomish-lidar-image-standard-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-snohomish-lidar-image-standard-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-snohomish-lidar-image-standard-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-snohomish-lidar-image-standard-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em>Can you see the marks running from the top to the bottom in this lidar image of <a href=\"https:\/\/lidarportal.dnr.wa.gov\/#47.90944:-122.17312:11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Glacial formations near Snohomish<\/a> from the Washington Lidar Portal?<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Seattle\u2019s famous hills, Lake Washington, and Lake Sammamish all run north-south. Why? Because they are the scrapes and depressions left behind by the glacier as it moved! It\u2019s easy to see the evidence of bulldozing glaciers in areal imagery like this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Explore more types of glacier evidence at \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/wa100.dnr.wa.gov\/puget-lowland\/glacial-landforms\">Glacial Landforms and Rock Types<\/a>\u201d from the Washington DNR. You may even find glacial evidence in your own neighborhood once you know what to look for!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-white-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#top\">back to top<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"plugs\">Glacial Plugs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you know Puget Sound\u2019s connection to the Pacific Ocean was temporarily blocked by glaciers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The glacial plug created deep, still water where clay and silt could settle out. We can still see the clay layer at some beaches, rivers, or even construction sites. Water has a hard time getting through this layer, so the soil on top of the layer can get very wet and, when combined with things like earthquakes, lead to landslides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lawton-clay-standard-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-601\" style=\"object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lawton-clay-standard-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lawton-clay-standard-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lawton-clay-standard-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lawton-clay-standard-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lawton-clay-standard-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lawton-clay-standard-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lawton-clay-standard-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lawton-clay-standard-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The Lawton clay layer, visible at Magnolia Bluff in Discovery Park, is from the lake formed by a glacial plug. Image from the <a href=\"https:\/\/iafi.org\/discovery-park-bluffs-tell-the-story-of-seattles-glacial-history\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ice Age Institute<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you&#8217;re interested in how the glaciers tell their story with geological layers, check out \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/iafi.org\/discovery-park-bluffs-tell-the-story-of-seattles-glacial-history\/\">Discovery Park bluffs tell the story of Seattle\u2019s glacial history<\/a>\u201d from the Ice Age Floods Institute to see what these layers mean and where you can see them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Temporarily blocking the connection to the ocean is a big deal! Consider:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-medium\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-highlight-paragraph-primary\"><strong>Q: <\/strong>How might cutting the Puget Sound off from the Pacific Ocean affect the animals in the Puget Sound?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-medium\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-highlight-paragraph-primary\"><strong>Q: <\/strong>What animals can you think of that travel between the ocean and freshwater lakes and rivers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-medium\" \/>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-kokanee-swimming-standard-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-602\" style=\"object-fit:cover\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-kokanee-swimming-standard-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-kokanee-swimming-standard-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-kokanee-swimming-standard-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-kokanee-swimming-standard-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-kokanee-swimming-standard-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-kokanee-swimming-standard-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-kokanee-swimming-standard-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-kokanee-swimming-standard-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/usfwspacific\/51666400632\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Roger Tabor at USFWS<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-white-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#top\">back to top<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"drain\">Draining Lake Washington<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lake-washington-watershed-portrait-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Modern Lake Washington has two rivers flowing in: the Sammamish River at the north and the Cedar River at the south. Lake Washington now drains through the ship canal at its center.\" class=\"wp-image-603\" style=\"width:300px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lake-washington-watershed-portrait-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lake-washington-watershed-portrait-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lake-washington-watershed-portrait-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lake-washington-watershed-portrait-600x750.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-lake-washington-watershed-portrait.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Lake Washington Watershed from <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lake_Washington\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wikipedia<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Sammamish River connects Lake Sammamish to Lake Washington, which then drains into the Puget Sound. In the last 200 years, people have made drastic changes to this system. The Ballard Locks created a new drain for Lake Washington, connecting it directly to the Puget sound. The cedar river, which once passed the lake and entered into the ocean, was rerouted into the lake. <a href=\"https:\/\/projects.seattletimes.com\/2017\/local\/ballard-locks-slider\/\">Use this slider from the Seattle Times<\/a> to see how much western Lake Washington changed as a result. These massive changes drastically changed salmon migration routes from the ocean, lowered the lake by 9 feet and caused much more fresh water to flow through Lake Washington than before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.usgs.gov\/publication\/ofr811182\">Historical changes to Lake Washington and route of the Lake Washington Ship Canal<\/a>\u201d for in-depth reading on the many ways Lake Washington changed due to the construction of the Ballard Locks, like its habitat, water quality, and fish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Questions to consider:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-medium\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-highlight-paragraph-primary\"><strong>Q: <\/strong>Can you imagine if the lake were 9 feet higher? Where would the shoreline be?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-medium\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-highlight-paragraph-primary\"><strong>Q: <\/strong>If the ground here were underwater, what different plants and animals might be here?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-medium\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-white-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#top\">back to top<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"restore\">Restoring Wetlands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When Lake Washington was lowered due to the creation of the ship canal, over 1000 acres of wetlands dried up. Some were used as landfills, residential properties, and one airfield. They would have been home to many birds, beavers, river otters and young fish while acting as a natural water filter for the lake. The value of wetlands is better recognized now, and many restoration efforts along shore aim to create new wetlands to replace some of what was lost. Union Bay Natural Area transformed from wetland to landfill and back to thriving wetland again! <a href=\"https:\/\/botanicgardens.uw.edu\/center-for-urban-horticulture\/visit\/union-bay-natural-area\/\">Explore in-person or virtually at the UW Botanical Gardens website<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-28f84493 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-landfill-standard-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-604\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-landfill-standard-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-landfill-standard-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-landfill-standard-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-landfill-standard-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-landfill-standard-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-landfill-standard-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-landfill-standard-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-landfill-standard-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Montlake landfill, late 1950s from the <a href=\"https:\/\/uwnetid-my.sharepoint.com\/:p:\/g\/personal\/aputzke_uw_edu\/EecnxASbCwRBkFNrENF5QGcBqS0aGZvTCxVtg569tK98JA?email=aputzke%40uw.edu&amp;e=ooFYB8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UW School of Environmental and Forest Science<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-restoration-standard-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-605\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-restoration-standard-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-restoration-standard-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-restoration-standard-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-restoration-standard-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-restoration-standard-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-restoration-standard-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-restoration-standard-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-montlake-restoration-standard-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Union Bay Natural area, 1998 from the <a href=\"https:\/\/uwnetid-my.sharepoint.com\/:p:\/g\/personal\/aputzke_uw_edu\/EecnxASbCwRBkFNrENF5QGcBqS0aGZvTCxVtg569tK98JA?email=aputzke%40uw.edu&amp;e=ooFYB8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">UW School of Environmental and Forest Science<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-union-bay-natural-area-portrait-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-606\" style=\"width:300px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-union-bay-natural-area-portrait-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-union-bay-natural-area-portrait-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-union-bay-natural-area-portrait-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-union-bay-natural-area-portrait-600x750.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-union-bay-natural-area-portrait.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Union Bay Natural Area, 2024.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-medium\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-highlight-paragraph-primary\"><strong>Q: <\/strong>Can you think of an area near you that could become a healthy place for human and non-human animals?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-medium\" \/>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-white-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"#top\">back to top<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As you gaze across Lake Washington, it\u2019s easy to see the impact of humans on the landscape\u2014but this land was changing long before people arrived. Satisfy your curiosity here! Follow your interests by exploring videos, photos, and writing all about the topics on each sign. Looking for a different page? Click here to explore all&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":602,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_is_archived":false,"_archived_contact_email":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-597","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"related_links":{"toggle_visibility":false,"link_1":"","link_2":"","link_3":"","link_4":"","link_5":""},"highlight_box":{"toggle_visibility":false,"title":"","content":"","button":"","button_style":"angled-purple-button","button_screen_reader_text":""},"contact_type_1":{"toggle_visibility":true,"contact_title":"CoSEE","email":"cosee@uw.edu","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"14445 Juanita Dr NE","address_line_2":"Kenmore, WA 98028","location":""},"contact_type_2":{"toggle_visibility":false,"contact_title":"","email":"","phone":"","box":"","address_line_1":"","address_line_2":"","location":""},"social_media":{"toggle_visibility":false,"facebook_url":"","instagram_url":"","linkedin_url":"","twitter_url":"","youtube_url":""},"blog_archive_sidebar_visibility":false},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Lake Washington\u2019s Deep History - Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Lake Washington\u2019s Deep History - Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As you gaze across Lake Washington, it\u2019s easy to see the impact of humans on the landscape\u2014but this land was changing long before people arrived. Satisfy your curiosity here! Follow your interests by exploring videos, photos, and writing all about the topics on each sign. Looking for a different page? Click here to explore all...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-26T19:24:01+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-ice-sheet-thickness-portrait.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1350\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\\\/\",\"name\":\"Lake Washington\u2019s Deep History - Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/57\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/uwb-cosee-ice-sheet-thickness-portrait-819x1024.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-06-03T18:12:31+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-26T19:24:01+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/57\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/uwb-cosee-ice-sheet-thickness-portrait.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/57\\\/2025\\\/06\\\/uwb-cosee-ice-sheet-thickness-portrait.jpg\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":1350},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Lake Washington\u2019s Deep History\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/\",\"name\":\"Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uwb.edu\\\/cosee\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Lake Washington\u2019s Deep History - Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Lake Washington\u2019s Deep History - Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement","og_description":"As you gaze across Lake Washington, it\u2019s easy to see the impact of humans on the landscape\u2014but this land was changing long before people arrived. Satisfy your curiosity here! Follow your interests by exploring videos, photos, and writing all about the topics on each sign. Looking for a different page? Click here to explore all...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\/","og_site_name":"Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement","article_modified_time":"2025-06-26T19:24:01+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":1350,"url":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-ice-sheet-thickness-portrait.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\/","url":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\/","name":"Lake Washington\u2019s Deep History - Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-ice-sheet-thickness-portrait-819x1024.jpg","datePublished":"2025-06-03T18:12:31+00:00","dateModified":"2025-06-26T19:24:01+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-ice-sheet-thickness-portrait.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/57\/2025\/06\/uwb-cosee-ice-sheet-thickness-portrait.jpg","width":1080,"height":1350},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/lake-washingtons-deep-history\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Lake Washington\u2019s Deep History"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/","name":"Collaborative for Socio-Ecological Engagement","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/597","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/602"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=597"}],"version-history":[{"count":41,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/597\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":749,"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/597\/revisions\/749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uwb.edu\/cosee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=597"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}