Lake Chelan

Basins

Lake Chelan is composed of two basins. The lower basin, Wapato, is shallower and approximately a fourth the total length of the lake. The upper basin, Lucerne, is much deeper and extends for the remainder of the length of the lake. The two basins are separated by a sill rising to within 122 ft (37 m) of the surface, at a point known as the narrows, at which the lake is only 0.35 miles (0.56 km) wide.^[9]

The lower basin, Wapato, reaches a maximum depth of only 400 feet (120 m). About 600 feet (180 m) of glacial sediment and rockslide deposits rest on top of the bedrock.^[15] This section of the lake is 12 miles (19 km) long, and has an average depth of 190 feet (58 m).^[16] Due to the relatively modest size of this basin, water resides in this basin for only 0.8 years, compared to 10 for Lucerne Basin.^[17] The upper Lucerne basin is 38 miles (61 km) long with an average depth of 1,148 feet (350 m) and thus by far the larger of the two basins.^[16] It is in this part of the lake that the maximum depth of 1,486 feet (453 m) is found. Lucerne basin contains 92% of the water in Lake Chelan and 74% of the surface area, leaving Wapato with only 8% of the total volume of water and 26% of the surface area.^[8][9][15] The upper basin of Lake Chelan is surrounded by more mountainous terrain, resulting in few beaches along the shoreline. Approximately 50 miles (80 km) of the shoreline of this basin are in National Forest lands, and 12 miles (19 km) in National Park lands.^[8]

Climate

The climate of Lake Chelan's watershed is varied. From the southern end of the lake in the rain shadow of the Cascade Range, to the northern tip of the lake located in the eastern Cascades, the climate of Lake Chelan's watershed is as diverse as the lake is long. The south end's weather is notably dry, with Chelan averaging only 11.4 inches (29 cm) of rain per year, along with 21.8 inches (55 cm) of snow. Stehekin receives an average of 35.5 inches (90 cm) of rain per year, and 122.5 inches (311 cm) of snow. Other than precipitation trends, the climates are remarkably similar. Both locations average around 60 °F (16 °C) for a high, and 40 °F (4 °C) for a low throughout the course of the year.^{[citation needed]}

Etymology

The name Chelan is a Salish Indigenous word, "Tsi - Laan," meaning 'Deep Water'.^[20]

Cities

Due to the isolated nature of Lake Chelan, especially at its northern reaches, there is not a large population that resides along the shore. Chelan, which had 4,222 residents at the 2020 census,^[21] is currently the only incorporated city situated along the lake shore. The city is located at the southern terminus of the lake, adjacent to the Lake Chelan Dam and the Chelan River outflow. The census-designated place of Manson, which had 1,523 residents in 2020,^[22] is also located at the southern end of the lake. The unincorporated community of Stehekin,^[23] with approximately 75 residents,^[24] is located at the northern terminus of the lake, adjacent to the Stehekin River inflow. At the mouth of the Railroad Creek sits Lucerne, a small community of private cabins served by commercial boats.^[23] Lucerne is also the primary gateway to the community of Holden Village, a Lutheran retreat center located 11 mi (18 km) inland from the lake. With approximately 50 long-term residents, Holden includes one of the few remaining public K-12 two-room schools in the contiguous United States.^[25]

Fishing

Fishing is a popular recreational activity on Lake Chelan. The following fish are or were native to the lake: Bull Trout, Westslope cutthroat trout, Largescale sucker, Longnose sucker, Bridgelip sucker, Northern pikeminnow, Peamouth, Redside shiner, Mountain whitefish, Pygmy whitefish.^[26][27]

In addition to these native species, six species have been introduced to the lake, primarily for sport fishing purposes: Yellowstone cutthroat trout, Rainbow trout, Kokanee, Brook trout, Chinook salmon, Lake trout^[26][27]

Winemaking

The Lake Chelan AVA surrounds the southernmost 12 miles of Lake Chelan.^[29] A subzone of the larger Columbia Valley AVA, the Lake Chelan AVA is home to 31 tasting rooms.^[30]