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  1. Small lakes data and info
  2. Lake Information Page

Lake Information Page

Lake Sawyer

Lake Photo Image
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Vital Statistics

Watershed Area 8120 acres
Lake surface area 279 acres
Maximum depth 58 feet
Mean depth 26 feet
Public Park Yes
Boat Ramp Yes, outboard restriction
Fish Present stocked rainbow, bass

Overview

The key takeaways from the 2023 monitoring season are:

• Lake Sawyer had very clear water, with low nutrient concentrations and low algal growth. • Long-term trends suggest that water quality in Lake Sawyer has been improving over time, with decreasing nitrogen and chlorophyll concentrations and deeper Secchi depths (clearer water). • No algal blooms were reported for toxin testing in 2023.

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Maps

bathymetric map
lake watershed map
This bathymetric map shows contour lines of equal depth, similar to a topographic map would for mountains and valleys. The red 'X' marks the location where water quality samples are taken.
This map shows the area of the watershed relative to the area of the lake. Generally speaking, the larger a watershed is relative to a lake, the greater the influence land use practices on lake water quality.

Click image to enlarge

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Water Quality Data  

Through a combination of efforts by volunteer lake monitors and King County staff, data relating to physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the lake have been collected for most lakes. The King County Lake Stewardship Program analyzes data to track long-term water quality trends in small lakes in western King County.

View or Download Data
Use this tool to view or download data from the lake in tabular format. You can define date ranges and select which parameters to view or download.

Chart Data
Use the charting tool to look at graphs showing single parameters for a single water year at a time.

Water quality over time
A common method of tracking water quality trends in lakes is by calculating the “trophic state index” (TSI) (Carlson, 1977) and testing the values for positive or negative trends over time. TSI indicators predict the biological productivity of the lake based on water clarity (Secchi) and concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and chlorophyll a (Chlor). Generally at least 8 years of data without major lake management activities are needed to have confidence in a significant trend.

The average of these three TSI indicators during the growing season can be used to place lakes in one of three broad categories:
<40 = oligotrophic (low productivity),
40 to 50 = mesotrophic (moderate productivity)
>50 = eutrophic (highly productive).

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Reports and Related Links

Lake Stewardship Program: 2023 Monitoring Update
Lake Stewardship Program: 2022 Monitoring Update
2021 Lake Sawyer Monitoring Report
2020 Lake Sawyer Monitoring Report
2019 Lake Sawyer Monitoring Report
2018 Lake Sawyer Monitoring Report
Lake Sawyer Community Club
Lake Sawyer Hydrologic Data

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For questions about lakes in King County, please contact lakes@kingcounty.gov or call the Water and Land Resources Division front desk at 206-477-4800.