Keechelus Lake

Keechelus Lake is a lake and reservoir in the northwest United States, near Hyak in Kittitas County, Washington. Approximately 50mi southeast of Seattle and a few miles southeast of Snoqualmie Pass, it is the source of the Yakima River.Keechelus Lake is the western-most of three large lakes near Interstate 90 and north of the Yakima River in the Cascade Range; the other two are Kachess Lake in the middle and Cle Elum Lake to the east. After crossing nearby Snoqualmie Pass at an elevation of, Interstate 90 runs along the lake's eastern shoreline and tight against mountains. Its westbound lanes included a snowshed midway; built in 1950 for U.S. Route 10, it was removed in April 2014.Keechelus Lake is part of the Columbia River basin, being the source of the Yakima River, which is tributary to the Columbia River.The lake is used as a storage reservoir for the Yakima Project, an irrigation project run by the United States Bureau of Reclamation. Although a natural lake, Keechelus Lake's capacity and discharge is controlled by Keechelus Dam, a 128ft high earthfill structure built in 1917. As a storage reservoir, its active capacity is.