Alder Lake Fire At 8 Weeks

Day 340: The Alder Lake Fire began with a lightning strike on July 26th at approximately 5 PM. The time is known because lightning activity was recorded by a weather satellite in the exact location where the first smoke was observed and reported on August 11th. On Sunday, just two days from today, it will have been burning for eight weeks and, as you can see by comparing these photos with the panorama I posted on September 6th, there hasn't been much change in the last two weeks. In fact, no updates have been posted to InciWeb since September 9th. In this case, no news is not good news. Due to the fire's current inaccessibility, it may simply smoulder all winter, waiting to burst back into flame when the forest dries out again.

Fire aside, I learned why the reservoir has been low all summer when it's normally filled for recreational use. Tacoma Power is required to discharge through the spillway a specified volume of water (measured in cubic feet per second) to ensure enough flow for salmon habitat in the lower Nisqually River. If they fail to do so, they must pay substantial fines. If we don't get some rain soon, the lake may drop to a record low.

Ohop Valley Barn

Day 103: One of my favorite landmarks, this old barn overlooks a stretch of Ohop Creek which is almost line-straight, its unusual topography the product of an abortive attempt to drain the bottomland for farming. In the early 1900s, settlers here were not concerned with natural runs of salmon and the conditions required to keep them viable. Their thoughts went solely to rending the land dry enough to support the hooves and habits of cattle. They were soon to discover that underlying the surface soil, a thick layer of clay prevented further drainage and consequently, their dreams of a burgeoning agriculture evaporated. In recent years, the Nisqually Land Trust has bought up much of the Ohop, and extensive work has been done to restore the natural meanders. This property is one of the few which remains in private hands. The good news is that the salmon are returning to the creek's lower reaches. Perhaps some day, this area will be added to the Trust's growing list of holdings and restoration projects.