Up until the early 1950s, boats and other watercraft were able to freely move from Budd Inlet to the waters of what we now call Capitol Lake.
Before closing the Deschutes River estuary with an earthen dam, the Deschutes Waterway (a federal legal designation indicating a path for ships) stretched from lower Budd Inlet to Tumwater.
A handful of water based industries had existed at the base of the Deschutes falls since the mid-1800s. These included at certain points a mill, a tannery and the Olympia Brewery.
The most iconic example of the seafaring use of the old Deschutes Waterway was the visit in June 1933 to Olympia by the U.S.S. Constitution, “Old Ironsides.” In the War of 1812, the frigate cruised underneath the newly completed Capitol Building in what was then an estuary, but is now Capitol Lake.
Photo courtesy: Washington State Digital Archives.
But, when Capitol Lake was built, Tumwater’s connection to the open ocean was cut off. That did not, though, end boating in Capitol Lake.
Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, organized (and not so organized) boat races began to take place on the lake.
Boating accidents and deaths were not uncommon in those early years. Apparently one death in the late 1950s inspired both Olympia and Tumwater (who share the lake) to pass ordinances governing boating speeds and activities in the lake.
Lester Roxton, a 27-year-old Olympia resident, was waterskiing behind a boat on Capitol Lake in June 1958 when he collided with another boat towing another water skier. Before the end of August both cities had passed rules bringing boat traffic on the lake under some sort of control.
That did not necessarily end boating accidents. The next summer another death was reported. This time speed was not a factor when a boater fell off his boat while trying to start the engine, which then fatally cut open his leg, apparently leading to massive blood loss.
Fast boats didn’t leave the lake though, they just became more organized. The “rooster tales” hydroplane racers came to Capitol Lake in droves throughout the 1960s and following decades. Regular organized speed boat and water skiing events were featured on the lake. These would often become the centerpiece for Lakefair, but a handful of races were held during other parts of the summer.
During the early 1970s a boat operated by state troopers “rode herd” on private boat operators in the lake. The state policemen would enforce speed limits and keep boats away from the City of Olympia’s swimming beach.
Even during these early years, local and state committees wrangled with the deteriorating conditions in the lake. These included the growth of aquatic plants during the summer and the filling in of the lake by sediment coming down from the Deschutes River and being trapped by the dam.
For the first time, competitive boating took a pause on Capitol Lake in 2001 because of the impacts of the Nisqually Earthquake. Lake managers took some time to assess new lake depths. Also, the ability to stage the races was hurt by damage to the roads around the lake. The hydros eventually came back and continued throughout the decade.
In 2006 Dragon Boat racing joined the roostertales on the lake. The annual festival hosted by Saint Martin’s University featured a mix of competitive and local community teams.
But, in 2009, the deteriorating conditions in the lake finally put a halt to boating in the lake.
Invasive species like eruasion millfoil and and New Zealand mudsnails, both of which can spread quickly and attach themselves to boats, began taking over the lake. Boating was banned to keep these species from spreading even further and taking over other nearby lakes.
