Black River (Washington)
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The Black River of Thurston County, Washington drains Black Lake (3 miles west of Tumwater) southwest to the Chehalis River. The Black River Unit of the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge extends about 5 miles along the river immediately south of Black Lake.
The Black River of King County, Washington, once drained Lake Washington and the Cedar River into Elliott Bay via the Duwamish River.
In 1911, the Cedar River flooded Renton. To avoid future floods, in 1912 the Cedar was diverted into Lake Washington. In 1916, with the opening of the Lake Washington Ship Canal in north Seattle, the lake's level dropped nearly nine feet and the Black River dried up. Today, part of its bed forms the Black River Riparian Forest and Wetland.
