Low lake levels on Diablo Lake in Ross Lake National Recreation Area will limit accessibility for boaters after the Labor Day weekend. Seattle City Light will begin drawing down Diablo Lake on September 5, 2017, ultimately lowering the lake to approximately 1193 feet, about 9 feet below normal operating conditions, by the end of the day September 7, 2017. Lake levels will begin to rise onSept. 16, returning to normal conditions by Sept. 18, 2017. Low lake levels during this time will make the boat ramps at Diablo Lake and Colonial Creek Campground inaccessible to motorboats. Paddlecraft users will have difficulty launching and will likely need to walk through mud flats to reach the water.
The lower water levels are a part of a Seattle City Light project to build a boat launch near Ross Powerhouse to replace the one damaged in a 2010 rockslide. The new boat launch will allow entities such as Ross Lake Resort, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, National Park Service (NPS) and Seattle City Light (SCL) to transport motorboats to and from Ross Lake for operational purposes.
For specific project information, contact Patricia Filimon, Project Manager, Seattle City Light, at e-mail us.
www.nps.gov/noca
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
