Lake Mills (Washington)
| Lake Mills | |
|---|---|
 Lake Mills | |
| Location | Olympic National Park, Clallam County, Washington, USA |
| Coordinates | 48°00′07″N 123°36′00″W / 48.00194°N 123.60000°WCoordinates: 48°00′07″N 123°36′00″W / 48.00194°N 123.60000°W |
| Type | reservoir |
| Basin countries | United States |
| Surface elevation | 545 ft (166 m) |
Lake Mills was a reservoir formed by the Glines Canyon Dam on the Elwha River, and was located about 13 miles from the mouth of the river on the Olympic Peninsula. It was fully contained within Olympic National Park. It was formed in 1927 with the completion of the dam and after the lowland forest that occupied the river bottom was clear-cut. With no fish passage facilities, the dam blocks passage of anadromous Pacific Salmon from the upper 50+ miles of the Elwha watershed located within Olympic National Park.
The Elwha Ecosystem Restoration project is in the process of removing the Glines Canyon Dam. The lake was fully drained by October 2012, leaving only sediment behind the remains of the dam, which will be fully removed in 2013. Olympic National Park crews will revegetate the area to speed up ecological restoration and improve the habitat for the return of the salmon.
Lake Mills was a habitat for rainbow trout, bull trout, and Dolly Varden trout which used the lake as their "ocean", because the dam blocked access to the Pacific Ocean. It is expected that, following removal of the dam, these fish will return to their natural anadromous lifestyle.[citation needed]