Scott Lake is a
lake
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
in
Thurston County, Washington, United States.
It is located south of the
Tumwater
Tumwater is a town in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 25,350 at the 2020 census. It is situated near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound; it also borders the state ca ...
city limits, south of the
Olympia
The name Olympia may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Film
* ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games
* ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...
city limits, and north of the
Centralia city limits. The location for Scott Lake is in Sections 33 and 34, Township 17N, Range 2W, Willamette Meridian.
The lake receives its water from a creek that comes out of
Deep Lake. The creek is officially unnamed,
[Washington State Board on Geographic Names] but is referred to as Spruce Creek by the
Millersylvania State Park
Millersylvania State Park is a public recreation area located on Deep Lake south of Olympia, Washington. The state park's include old-growth cedar and fir trees as well as of freshwater shoreline. In 2009, the park was listed on the National ...
.
The creek that flows out of Scott Lake is officially named Allen Creek.
Allen Creek flows into Beaver Creek,
a tributary of the
Black River. Thus it is part of the
Chehalis River watershed.
A nine-hole golf course that is opened to the public, and a private park opened only to residents of the Scott Lake Community are located next to the lake.
Eurasian water-milfoil
''Myriophyllum spicatum'' (Eurasian watermilfoil or spiked water-milfoil) is native to Europe, Asia, and north Africa, but has a wide geographic and climatic distribution among some 57 countries, extending from northern Canada to South Africa. It ...
(''myriophyllum spicatum''), an invasive species, was found in the lake in the spring of 1996.
The area is subject to occasional flooding in winter. Its causes are being studied.
Climate of Scott Lake
The climate of Scott Lake is cloudy and rainy during the fall, winter, and spring. Summers are generally warmer and sunnier. There is an average of 161.6 days of precipitation per year,
[http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/clilcd.pl?wa24227 Western Regional Climate Data Center] and an average of 228.5 days of complete cloud cover per year.
On December 21, there is 15 hours and 30 minutes of darkness.
[U.S. Naval Observatory Astronomical Applications Department](_blank)
/ref> On June 21, there is 15 hours and 53 minutes of daylight.[ Until the 2021 North American heat wave, the highest temperature ever recorded was 104 °F on August 9, 1981][Western Regional Climate Data Center http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/cgi-bin/cliMAIN.pl?wa6114] and July 29, 2009. The lowest temperature ever recorded was −8 °F on January 1, 1979.
/ref> on January 7, 2009.
The closest weather station to Scott Lake is located at Webster Nursery near Tumwater. The closest weather station to Scott Lake that has a long history of weather records is located at the Olympia Regional Airport
Olympia Regional Airport is a public use airport located four nautical miles (7 km) south of the central business district of Olympia, a city in Thurston County and the capital of the U.S. state of Washington. It is owned by the Port of ...
in Tumwater.
Photo gallery
File:Spruce_Creek.jpg, Spruce Creek (inflow of Scott Lake)
File:Allen_Creek_5-15-2009.JPG, Allen Creek (outflow of Scott Lake)
File:Scott_Lake_Community_Center.jpg, The Scott Lake Community Center
File:Scott_Lake_Store.jpg, Scott Lake Grocery
File:Scott Lake (Washington), 2008-12-21.jpg, Scott Lake frozen over
References
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Lakes of Washington (state)
Lakes of Thurston County, Washington