Chambers Lake (Thurston County, Washington)

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Chambers Lake
Chambers Lake (Thurston County, Washington)
Chambers Lake (Thurston County, Washington)
Chambers Lake (Thurston County, Washington)
Chambers Lake (Thurston County, Washington)
Location Thurston County, Washington
Coordinates 47°01′31″N122°50′20″W / 47.0253986°N 122.8388916°W / 47.0253986; -122.8388916
Type Lake
EtymologyChambers family
Surface elevation203 feet (62 m)
References Geographic Names Information System: 1503907 [1]

Chambers Lake is a lake in the U.S. state of Washington.

Contents

History

Chambers Lake has the name of the local Chambers family which settled the area in the 1840s. [2]

Environment and ecology

In 2023, the lake was the first in Thurston County noted to harbor primrose willow, an invasive species from Central and South America. Known to overcrowd and disturb native habitats, the floating weed's root system also inhibits water flow, leading to a decrease in water quality. Under state law, the weed is required to be removed as water quality and recreational use of Chambers Lake were considered to be become potentially unsafe. After the discovery of the plant on the lake's shoreline, the county's public works department initially attempted to kill primrose willow using an herbicide. The agency changed tactics to manual extraction beginning in 2025; approximately 1,500 pounds (680 kg) of primrose willow was removed that year. [3]

See also

References

  1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Chambers Lake (Thurston County, Washington)
  2. "Thurston County Place Names: A Heritage Guide" (PDF). Thurston County Historical Commission. 1992. p. 14. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
  3. Marquez, Kameko (November 27, 2025). "Thurston County sees success in weed battle at Chambers Lake". The Journal of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater (JOLT) . Retrieved December 4, 2025.