PE EIE[R-Rg RESEARCH ON - HJ Andrews Experimental Forest

inputs into the lakes . Recent studies have
shown this kind of information to be necessary
in considering effects of land use .
The terrestrial scientists should not be unmindful
of the effect that aquatic bodie s
exert on the surrounding land mass . Man 's
needs for water have resulted in virtually all
civilizations developing in proximity to rive r
drainage basins . Locally, the impact of water
on man's land use is also obvious . Seattle
developed into a major city because of it s
location and port facilities on Puget Sound .
Lake Washington has had an impact o n
Seattle by preventing growth eastward in a
contiguous fashion . A great desire for water -
front property has prompted the developmen t
of homes and parks all along its shore front ,
and therefore brought about the necessity o f
bridges and major road systems to permi t
residents of the east shore to have convenien t
access to Seattle . Similarly, the existence o f
Lake Sammamish and its recreational an d
esthetic assets have created the developmen t
of parks, communities, and therefore, roads ,
along its shore . Because Chester Morse Lak e
serves as a water supply for Seattle, the entir e
watershed of this lake has been fenced off an d
been inaccessible to the public for 60 years .
Land use has been restricted to controlle d
logging designed so as to protect wate r
quality. Within the Chester Morse watershed ,
Findley Lake has been protected incidentally .
Aquatic bodies also influence terrestrial
communities by the frequency and extent o f
floods. The temptation to build on level land
has resulted in construction on flood plain s
and the subsequent need for dams and othe r
flood control measures . These in turn have
altered the terrestrial environment and th e
potential uses of the land .
The distribution of terrestrial wildlife is
also influenced to a very great extent by th e
availability of the water supply . A host of
water birds collect their food from the water
but otherwise nest and conduct the nonfeeding
parts of their lives on the land . In addition,
there are animals such as otters (Lutra
canadensis), racoons (Procyon lotor), and
bears (Ursus spp.), which take a rather substantial
amount of their food from aquatic
bodies, especially after the salmon spawning .
Over geological timespans, water has a
major impact on the land . The streams an d
rivers are major sculptors of the terrestrial
topology. Lakes are not merely a sink for up -
land nutrients but may become the source o f
future land . Much of our prime agricultura l
land is lake fill . The occurrence of peat in th e
local drainage system gives further evidenc e
that much of our present land was previousl y
occupied by an aquatic community .
Characteristics of the
Four Lakes
The four lakes in the Coniferous Forest
Biome 's Cedar River intensive site-Washington,
Sammamish, Chester Morse, and
Findley-provide contrasting conditions (fig .
1) . The physical parameters of the lakes are
shown in table 1 .
1. Lake Washington (fig . 2), the lowermost
lake, has a documented history of eutrophication
and recent sewage diversion .
The dominant fish is the anadromous
sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka)
which was introduced about 30 years
ago . Other anadromous and resident fis h
populations also occur here. The lake is
used intensely for recreation, including
sports fishing . The shores of the lake are
largely urbanized .
2. Lake Sammamish (fig . 3) represents an
intermediate condition, as it was oligotrophic
until very recently, underwent
limited eutrophication as the forest wa s
replaced by an increasing urban community,
and is currently undergoing
sewage diversion. The response of this
lake to sewage diversion has been substantially
less dramatic than that of Lake
Washington . Surprisingly, the hypolimnion
is anerobic much of the summer .
Some of the same fish species, includin g
sockeye salmon, occur here as in Lak e
Washington, but in smaller numbers .
This lake drains into Lake Washington
from the north via Sammamish Slough .
3. Chester Morse Lake (fig . 4) is the upper -
most of the two large lakes in the Ceda r
River watershed . Although the lake level
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