In 1964, a public swimming area was built at Olympia’s Capitol Lake Park (601 Water Street SW). A favorite hang-out spot on hot summer days, pollution problems forced its closure in 1985 and is now a part of Olympia history.
Building a Park at Capitol Lake in Olympia
While architects Wilder and White suggested damming the Deschutes River to create an artificial lake in their early design for the new state capitol campus, Capitol Lake took years to be built. It was completed in 1951. Proud of its new “reflecting pond,” the City of Olympia was eager to develop its recreational possibilities.
In 1957, the Olympia Recreation Council proposed both a lake park and an indoor municipal swimming pool. Both ideas were deemed too expensive.
The “Committee for the 60’s” thought that the lake should be made into the city’s pool. This group of civic and business leaders included a lake park/swimming facility among their bond proposals on the November 1962 ballot. At $250,000, it was the least expensive and most popular measure, winning with 75% of the vote. The other measures, a new city hall and extending Henderson Boulevard to North Street, passed as well.
Capitol Lake Park Opening Day
It took two years for the City to buy lakeshore property and construct the park. It was finally dedicated on June 14, 1964, ready for the summer season. There were speeches, a flag raising, and American Legion Band concert.
The swimming area was divided into three sections by a lifeguard-manned dock. Closest to shore was a shallow wading area and sandy beach for children. The middle area had a slide, a low dive and a high dive. The farthest section had racing lanes. There were bleachers for spectators.
There was no cost to swim. Coin-operated lockers in the bathhouse cost a quarter.
A Day at Capitol Lake
The swim park was open June through Labor Day, weather permitting. Hundreds and even thousands flocked to the park on hot days, trying to beat the heat. The park was also popular with sunbathers and joggers.
A seasonal snack bar sold hamburgers, hot dogs, soda and more. Jerry Craig of Martin Way’s Burgerhaus was its first manager. In 1981, Marlene Huynh and her family opened the snack bar as La Chaumiere au Lac – The Little Hut at the Lake – offering Vietnamese and French food. Her cha gio and hum bao were bestsellers.
Olympia High School swim coach Don Martin served as the first “Beachmaster,” organizing swim classes and lifeguards. The Parks and Recreation Department offered free swim classes with Red Cross-certified instructors. A generation of children, including my father and his brother, learned to swim at the lake. The water was very cold, Dad remembers.
As a teenager, my mother took sailing lessons at the park, which cost a small fee.
My uncle later served as a lifeguard during the summers of 1974 and 1975. He has many fond memories of the time. Led by Mike Dahl, their duties included teaching free swimming lessons and hosing out the bathhouse, besides monitoring the swim area. The Red Cross Water Safety Instructor-certified lifeguards were college-aged men and women. Many had been former high school swim team members. At $3 an hour, my uncle was pleased to make double minimum wage.
Capitol Lake Park hosted Capital Lakefair. Model boat races were held in the swimming area. The Lakefair Queen was crowned on the dock to much fanfare. One year, my uncle recalled, a golden retriever fetched a bottle tossed into the lake. The bottle contained the queen’s name.
Why You Can’t Swim at Capitol Lake in Olympia
By the 1970s, the health department occasionally closed the swimming area because of elevated levels of fecal coliform bacteria. Algae blooms also created problems. By the end of summer, my uncle remembers, even the lifeguards avoided going into the water if they could help it. Algae made the water dangerously murky. When checking for missing swimmers, lifeguards struggled to see through the water. It was surprisingly clear near the bottom.
No one drowned during my uncle’s time. The lifeguards had a PA system to issue warnings and a phone on the dock and office to call first responders.
Parks officials struggled to find solutions to the pollution. Chemicals proved only temporary help and threatened the salmon in the lake. In 1982, the City and Department of Ecology installed a sand and ultraviolet filter and pump system. A fabric curtain kept the swim area separate from the lake. Fresh water from the city water system now filled the swim area.
But the system proved inadequate. While the area could be emptied and refilled in nine and a half hours, water could not circulate. Pumping caused severe water pressure issues on the Capitol Campus. The pump could only be used at night.
The curtain proved a flimsy barrier. It twisted and tore during the lake’s annual drawdown two years later, requiring extensive repairs and closure of the swim area. The curtain was also moved closer to shore. Even worse, the curtain kept contaminated water in and did not completely keep lake water out.
In 1985, the lake closed for a final time. It was simply no longer safe to swim in Capitol Lake. The decaying swim dock was removed in 1988.
Since then, Capitol Lake Park has been transformed into Heritage Park (701 Water Street SW). The area has been relandscaped, and the only remnant of the old swimming area are the public restrooms that once served as the bathhouse.
Plans are underway to restore Capitol Lake into a tidal estuary. Its swimming days, it seems, are long over.
