Lake Steilacoom is a

reservoir A reservoir (; from French ''réservoir'' ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam. Such a dam may be either artificial, built to store fresh water or it may be a natural formation. Reservoirs can be created in a number of ways, including contro ...

approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) southwest of Tacoma in Pierce County, Washington,

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 territori ...

. Its boundaries lie entirely within the city of Lakewood, Washington. The reservoir covers approximately , has a mean depth of and a maximum depth of . Lake Steilacoom is a freshwater lake and drains into

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected ma ...

via Chambers Creek, which begins at its northern tip. The lake is fed at its southeastern end by two creeks: Ponce de Leon Creek, which originates in springs below what is now Lakewood Towne Center, as well as Clover Creek which flows from its source near Frederickson to the lake. The reservoir was created in 1853 when Andrew Byrd built a dam across Chambers Creek, flooding what had previously been a small pond in a wetland. The dam was used for his sawmill (also built in 1853) and a

grist mill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

(100 yards downstream, in 1857). A public boat launch can be found on the eastern shore in Edgewater Park. The smaller pond was known as Lake Wyatchew prior to the dam's installation, and was briefly known later as Byrd's lake. The

Rhodesleigh Rhodesleigh, also known as the Rhodes Mansion, is a historic residence in Lakewood, Washington. Architects involved in its design included Ambrose J. Russell and Frederick Heath. The house is located at 10815 Greendale Drive, built in 1922. T ...

mansion is located by the lake. The Nisqually Indians say this lake was possessed by an evil female monster known as Whe-atchee. Legends of the creature attacking people go back over a century. To this day, Nisqually refuse to fish or swim here. Lake Steilacoom Map

External links

Lake Steilacoom Improvement Club
including history *

References

Steilacoom Steilacoom Lakewood, Washington Protected areas of Pierce County, Washington {{PierceCountyWA-geo-stub