Blue Lake (Alaska)
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| Blue Lake | |
|---|---|
| Location | Baranof Island, Alaska, United States |
| Coordinates | at outlet[1] |
| Lake type | Reservoir, glacial lake |
| Primary inflows | Blue Lake Valley Creek |
| Primary outflows | Sawmill Creek |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Max. length | 3.25 mi (5.23 km) |
| Max. width | average .625 mi |
| Surface area | 1,225 acres (5 km²) |
| Max. depth | 468 ft (143 m) |
| Surface elevation | 342 ft (104 m) |
| References | [1] |
Blue Lake is a three-mile (5 km) long lake/reservoir located near the town of Sitka on Baranof Island in Alexander Archipelago of Southeast Alaska.
Blue Lake, as its name suggests, possesses a deep blue hue to its water. Blue Lake's watersources come partially from snowpack and small glaciers from the Blue Lake valley. The lake lies in a glacially carved, U-shaped vally.
Currently, at the Sawmill Cove Industrial Park, there is a small water bottling operation utilizing the water that originates from the watershed. Two other companies retain rights to export of the water in the future.
Blue Lake was dammed by the Blue Lake Dam in 1958 greatly expanding the lake's size from 490 acres (2.0 km²) to 1,225 acres (5 km²) and increasing its height from 208 ft (63 m) to 342 ft.[2] Dam fluctuations allow the lake elevation to vary up to 60 ft (18 m). The Blue Lake dam, along with the Green Lake Dam, combine to make Sitka's mainstream power sources exclusively hydroelectric.
There is also about a mile-long road that accesses Blue Lake allowing residents to put in kayaks and canoes thus allowing peaks further up the Blue Lake valley, most notably Clarence Kramer Peak, to become more accessible. Blue Lake Campground is located about two-thirds the way to the lake. The road itself is very dangerous often winding above cliff ledges, and in 2003 a young girl drove off of the road in a recently stolen vehicle killing herself. There are also many avalanche chutes located along the road which can block it in wintertime and also pose a hazard.
