Evaluation of seepage from Chester Morse Lake and Masonry Pool, King County, Washington

Abstract

Hydrologic data collected in the Cedar and Snoqualniie River basins on the west slope of the Cascade Range have been analyzed to determine the amount of water lost by seepage from Chester Morse Lake and Masonry Pool and the consequent gain by seepage to the Cedar and South Fork Snoqualmie Rivers. For water years 1957-64, average losses were about 220 cfs (cubic feet per second) while average gains were about 180 cfs in the Cedar River and 50 cfs in the South Fork Snoqualmie River. Streamflow and precipitation data for water years 1908-26 and 1930-f2 indicate that a change in runoff regimen occurred in Cedar and South Fork Snoqualmie Rivers after the Boxley Creek washout in December 1918. For water years 1919-26 and 1930-32, the flow of Cedar River near Landsburg averaged about 80 cfs less than it would have if the washout had not occurred. In contrast, the flow of South Fork Snoqualmie River at North Bend averaged al out 60 cfs more than it would have.