Glacial Lake Russell

Lake Russell
Glacial lakes Lake Puyallup & Early Lake Russell
Lake Russell
Location	Puget Sound Thurston County, Washington
Coordinates	47°07′02″N 122°47′48″W / 47.117178°N 122.796780°W / 47.117178; -122.796780
Lake type	Glacial lake (former)
Primary inflows	Vashon Lobe of the continental glacier
Primary outflows	Black Lake Outlet
Basin countries	United States
Max. length	65 miles (105 km)
Max. width	54 miles (87 km)
Max. depth	155 m (509 ft)
Residence time	ca 600 years
Surface elevation	160 m (520 ft)
References	Washington Geological Survey, Bulletin No. 8; Glaciation of the Puget Sound Region; J. Harlen Bretz; Olympia, Wash, Frank M. Lamborn Public Printer; 1913

During the Vashon Glaciation a series of lakes formed along the southern margin of the Cordilleran Ice Cap. In the Puget Sound depression, a series of lakes developed, of which Lake Russell was the largest and the longest lasting. Early Lake Russell’s surface was at 160 ft (49 m) above sea level, draining across the divide at Shelton, Washington into early Glacial Lake Russell. When the ice margin receded northward, the lake expanded. When it reached the Clifton channel outlet, the water levels dropped to 120 ft (37 m) above sea level. The new longer and lower level lake is referred to as Lake Hood. The glacier continued to retreat until the northern outlet of the Hood Canal was reached as the water level equalized with Glacial Lake Russell becoming part of that body of water.^[1]

Lake Russell is named for geologist, Israel Cook Russell.^[2]

Forming about 17,000 years before present (ybp) as the ice front began to retreat northward. One version or another of Lake Russell existed from 16,900 ybp until 15,900 ybp.^[3]