Lake Sammamish Living

So I first heard this story from one of my neighbors who grew up on the lake.  I was a bit dubious at first (sorry Brian) as I had a hard time imagining that a creature suited for salt water could adapt to living in a fresh water environment. But Brian’s a reasonably honest guy so I knew it had to be true.  Well, ran across this story on HistoryLink.org the other day that verifies his tale.

It seems Butch was a free spirited harbor seal who made Lake Sammamish home for 25 years before dying in 1975. Nobody is quite sure how Butch came to the lake. There were several theories that he swam through Lake Washington and up the slough to Lake Sammamish. But the fact that he had a collar on gave more credibility to the theory that he escaped the circus. 

At any rate, he was probably a far more welcome resident than the recent reports of Nutria.  Would have been neat to see him but it was far before my time.

It’s that time of year when everyone wants to get outside. Whether it is the family BBQ or a company picnic there are lots of great places on the eastside to hold an event. The Parks and Recreation Departments of the eastside cities all have information online including information on reserving the spot you want. Check ‘em out at:

• Bellevue
• Issaquah
• Kirkland
• Sammamish

One of my neighbors asked me the other day what the latest plans were. I didn’t know either so it was time to do some surfing.  Here is what I found out:

The plan is competing for CIP (Capital Improvement Projects) funding for 2006 so there are no specific build plans as of yet for the project.

The project will provide a consistent 4′ shoulder on the east side, a 10.5′ northbound vehicle travel lane, a 10′ southbound vehicle travel lane, a 10′ wide multi-purpose trail on the west side separated by a 1.5′ shy distance space and a 2′ or 5′ wide landscaped buffer where space is available.  There will be a signal at SE 34th Street, pedestrian crossings at SE 26th Street, Northup Way, NE 24th Street and at 5 other locations along the parkway.

It also includes plans for storm drainage, water quality and fish passage improvements throughout the corridor. Options for undergrounding existing overhead utilities and various project implementation phasing scenarios will be evaluated during the initial design process.

Related links:

• 12-year Transportation Facilities Plan
• West Lake Sammamish Parkway Analysis 
• Preferred Plan Alternative