Round Lake is a small lake in Camas, Washington, U.S. The lake is connected at its north-west tip to Lacamas Lake and is accessed from Lacamas Park. The park includes a trail that goes entirely around Round Lake, and across the approximately dam that controls the level of Lacamas Lake and Round Lake. The lake has rainbow trout, brown trout, bluegill and smallmouth bass.
History
Lacamas Creek was first dammed in 1883 for a paper mill—the first to be constructed in Washington Territory. It was replaced by a pair of concrete dams at the southwest end of Round Lake that raised the water level by ; a diversion tunnel was also constructed to supply the mill with more water. The lake and its surrounding area remained under the control of the mill, which was acquired by Crown Zellerbach in 1925. The company donated around Lacamas Lake and Round Lake to the Clark County government in 1963 for the creation of a new park, later named Lacamas Park.
The two lakes were stocked with various species of fish, but they were unable to survive the oxygen-depleted environment created by the high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and fecal coliform bacteria that had been produced by nearby dairies and septic tanks.
References
External links
- Information on government monitoring of the lake