Capitol Lake The whole dam story

The Dam Walking from Deschutes Pkwy area of Sidewalk Loop Trail

The Dam from path next to Capitol Lake

The Dam from the start of the North Basin Shoreline Loop Trail

The Capitol Lake Dam was created to form a lake at the base of the Olympia City Capitol building. Heritage park and a recreational path encompass most of Capitol Lake with the dam in between. On that path, a diverse group of people from many locations, backgrounds, and professions came for what seemed to be the same purpose, exercise and leisure. Some people were jogging by themselves, others in pairs. Some people walked with significant others, some with business acquaintances, some had family in tow, a few on bicycles, and a few photographed nature scenes, but overall, the sense was that of a quaint stroll in a friendly neighborhood park with a picturesque lake in the backdrop. A place where saying hello to others and engaging in a few conversations with strangers along the way was commonplace. The dam itself had quite a few of those conversations going on as observers noticed the rushing water coming out of the lake, through the dam’s spillway, and into the bay.

Great Blue Heron Poses for a Nature Photo

The Dam in Front and Heritage Park Behind Me

Left to Right: Joggers on Sidewalk Loop, Dam, Heritage Park (You can see the uniform trees that are on the path)

The dam runs east to west on the south sidewalk of 5^th avenue before the fork of Olympic St W and Deschutes Pkwy SW. It is located at 47.0434, -122.9091. To the north is 4^th Avenue W and to the south is the Capitol Lake. The east side of the dam is bordered by Heritage Park and the west side continues as a recreational sidewalk extending southwest. The dam is on what used to be tidelands of the Deschutes River which connected to what is now the West Bay of Budd Inlet, a part of the Puget Sound.

Beyond the geographic features lies a diverse culture. The Capitol Building contains the political scene while just a few blocks away are homeless camps with their own internal political agendas. The dam is a place where the rich and poor cross paths frequently. The same pathway bench that a middle class jogger uses to catch their breath and take in the view of the Capitol Building reflection off Capitol Lake, is later used as a shaded-napping spot for a homeless man and his dog. The dam also attracts those nature enthusiasts catching a view of salmon swimming upstream, returning to their breeding grounds. The dam is an area where political officials, the homeless, recreational and nature enthusiasts, local native tribal members, downtown locals, and college students make up a part of the culture of Olympia and the Pacific Northwest.

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