From Water Level to Water Quality - The Focus Changes
GoLakeChelan recently received Emails from 2 local Lake Chelan Valley residents, each of which included very similar photos of beaches 10 miles apart, but of which both displayed the same characteristics.
The contributor of the first (TOP 2 Photos) ~ resident Phil Long.
The bottom photos were taken near Mill Bay by local citizen Kasmira Elliot.
Both were writing to ask if anyone knew about the cause of the condition; and we think it would be safe to say that BOTH were concerned that it was some source of pollution or a residual condition from activity on the lands in the past.
Phil Long noted that the area in front of the USFS was once occupied by a lumber mill (before the lake was raised). His Emails included a significant amount of scientific explanations that we would prefer to leave to him to post here so as to be sure that it gets said correctly.
The question remains: What is causing this seepage into the lake when the water is down and is it dangerous to water quality. Is it happening when the lake is up too, but we just don’t see it? Should we be concerned ? And if so - who would be responsible?
Both Phil and Kasmira sent added and enlarged photos which we make available for our readers to view:
USFS - Phil Long - CLICK HERE
Mill Bay - Kasmira Elliot - CLICK HERE
Resident Phil Long tested samples taken at the foot of the lake and reports:
The ones I tested appear to be “biological” per the simple test suggested by the Washington Department of Ecology. Now, the question still is what has driven the sediment anaerobic in the first place, something I think probably is related to mill operations, possibly just an abundance of organic carbon from woody debris, but also possibly from creosote or other contaminants.
In an earlier email to the Lake Chelan Water Quality Committee, Phil told that group:
On March 8th I was walking along the beach near the PUD swimming area adjacent to the Forest Service in Chelan and noticed hydrocarbon sheen on water and wet sediments at a few locations. I went back and photographed and located these area with a GPS on March 9th. I have attached the location map and photos of one of the areas for your information.
It is entirely possible that the sheens are naturally produced by biogeochemical cycling of carbon. It is also possible that they are residual from hydrocarbon contamination associated with an old saw mill that reportedly existed in the area prior to construction of the Chelan Dam. My questions to the LCWQC are 1) have these materials been sampled previously and 2) If not, are they enough of a concern that they should be sampled or can we decide if they are naturally occurring or not without sampling? If they turn out to be a contaminant, would it make sense to remove a limited amount of sediment at low water or are we better off leaving the material in place and allowing the contaminant hydrocarbons to naturally attenuate?
When GoLakeChelan reader Kasmira Elliot submitted her first photos she included the following comments:
I was wondering if you or someone at GoLakeChelan has time to find out what is all over the exposed lake bed at Mill Bay. I attached a few pictures that I took today.
My family and I were down there taking pictures and walking around and noticed a really foul odor, what appeared to be oil and just alot of foamy ick. (for lack of a better word).
GoLakeChelan invites our readers to join in this discussion.
March 19, 2008 at 8:24 am
These are very good questions. I remember the old mill well. I used to walk there nearly everyday as a child. I’m wondering if we have any solid answers to the above questions. If something needs to be cleaned up, I can’t think of a better time to do it. We should consider this while we solve the moorage problem.
Thanks!
Shelly
March 21, 2008 at 9:07 pm
AFter some 80 years, we are still feeling the effects of the raising of Lake Chelan some 20 feet. It is my guess that we will continue to have to deal with such changes. 80 years is really not that long of a time when dealing with a shoreline the size of Lake Chelan.
It is my understanding that there was a mill out in front of the U.S. Forest Service. If I am not mistaken, prior to it being located there, it was located in the area of the Goodfellow “Three Fingers”. This was also an area know as the “Frog Ponds”.
Many of the logs of those early years were Ceder from up lake. We all know that Ceder does not degrade as fast as Fir and Pine. Pine Needles are also known to not mulch very well. We had to dig holes on the shore line below the high water mark this spring (with a permit thank you) and noticed about one foot down, a layor or clay type soil and a layor about 3 inches thick of pine needles. My guess is that this area filled in with about a foot of sand since the raising of the lake 80 years ago. The non-decomposed pine needles were at least 80 years old yet is was clear what they were. Perhaps what is being seen in these areas are such organtic type material left over from these old log mills. If that is the case, I would guess that there is no real concern.
I think we will continue to see changes on the shoreline for sometime to come. Some shorelines will want to cut away while others will naturally want to fill themselves in. I have noticed this since I was in High School. Natures way of cutting and filling in, but with nature, it takes many many years. And if the PUD is going to drop the lake level lower every year as they say they will and as we have seen this year, I think we will see even more changes in the years to come in the lands between lake elevations of 1079 and 1085. Some of these changes may actually benifit some but they may cause others great hardship. This I think is what we are seeing with the City beaches and marinas. What they are doing now will help now, but my guess is that the marina will continue to fill itself in year after year and sand will need to be removed again. Many of our beaches have lost sand over the years. Can I get on the list for some of that beautiful sand?
Just some thoughts.
April 4, 2008 at 10:31 am
I haven’t seen or heard any real answers, other then everyone believes it to have something to do with the decomposing, or breaking down of the leftovers from the mills that were once in these locations. I hope that’s true, however, it would be nice to know that someone with some expertise had checked it out.
I have been back to MillBay and it is still all there, although, now that the water has come up some, there are not the “pools” at the bottom of the boat launches that had the oil slick looking stuff. It still smells pretty bad down there, and if the wind is right, you can smell what I mean just by driving by with your window down out on the highway.
I was just reading thru everything again, and realized that really there’s lots of speculation, and educated guessing, but no real answers.
I hope the dialogs and sharing of information continues.
Thanks
Kasmira