Waughop 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 ...

less than 1.6 km (1.0 mi) east of Steilacoom in

Pierce County, Washington Pierce County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 921,130, up from 795,225 in 2010, making it the second-most populous county in Washington, behind King County, and the 60th-most populous ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. The lake lies within

Fort Steilacoom Park Fort Steilacoom Park in Lakewood, Washington is the largest park in the city. The park includes Waughop Lake, an off-leash dog park, and several soccer fields and baseball fields. It is adjacent to Pierce College, historic Fort Steilacoom, and We ...

, in the city of

Lakewood, Washington Lakewood is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 63,612 at the 2020 census. History Lakewood was officially incorporated on February 28, 1996. Historical names include Tacoma/Lakewood Center and Lakes Distric ...

. Waughop Lake has a surface area of approximately and a mean depth of . The lake is fed by groundwater and has no surface drainage channels. The lake is named after Dr. John Wesley Waughop, former superintendent of the Washington State Hospital for the Insane. The hospital, now known as Western State Hospital, lies across from the park on Steilacoom Boulevard SW. Remnants of part of the hospital are incorporated into the trail. The lake is circled by a 9/10-mile paved loop trail. Waughop Lake is refilled with trout that, unless caught, die within a few weeks. One of the primary researchers of this lake, Michele La Fontaine, has done studies on the

algae Algae (; singular alga ) is an informal term for a large and diverse group of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms. It is a polyphyletic grouping that includes species from multiple distinct clades. Included organisms range from unicellular mic ...

and dissolved oxygen content. The depth fluctuates about 2 feet a year, gaining 2 feet in winter and losing 2 feet due to evaporation.

Life

Waughop Lake is home to many animals and plants, including mallards,

deer Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...

, Canada geese,

raccoons The raccoon ( or , ''Procyon lotor''), sometimes called the common raccoon to distinguish it from other species, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of , and a body weight of . ...

robins Robins may refer to: Places United States *Robins, Iowa, a small city * Robins, Ohio, an unincorporated community * Robins Township, Fall River County, South Dakota *Robins Island, of the coast of New York state *Robins Air Force Base, Georgia *Ro ...

, squirrels, and other small birds.

Algae

Algae in Waughop Lake has affected the lake for a long time. The algae are fed by nitrogen, supplied by the duck droppings and sediment, which the lake has plenty of. There are serious algae blooms, and it is not advisable to come into contact with the water. During algae blooms, the lake may be closed or restricted to visitors. For some of the year, fishing is restricted due to the algae problem. The bulk of the algae is green

cyanobacteria Cyanobacteria (), also known as Cyanophyta, are a phylum of gram-negative bacteria that obtain energy via photosynthesis. The name ''cyanobacteria'' refers to their color (), which similarly forms the basis of cyanobacteria's common name, blu ...

, a phylum or waterborne photosynthesizing prokaryotes.

External links

Chambers-Clover Basin Instream Resources Protection Program (PDF)VR Seattle Panorama of Waughop Lake (requires QuickTime)Waughop, Dr. John Wesley (1839-1903)
at HistoryLink.org {{authority control Waughop Lakes of Pierce County, Washington Protected areas of Pierce County, Washington