Lake Herbert G. West

Lake Herbert G. West
West Lake
Location of Lake Herbert G. West in Washington, USA.
Location of Lake Herbert G. West in Washington, USA.
Lake Herbert G. West
Location of Lake Herbert G. West in Washington, USA.
Location of Lake Herbert G. West in Washington, USA.
Lake Herbert G. West
LocationFranklin, Walla Walla, Columbia and Whitman counties, Washington state, U.S.
Coordinates46°33′45″N 118°32′15″W / 46.56250°N 118.53750°W / 46.56250; -118.53750
TypeReservoir
Primary inflowsSnake River
Primary outflowsSnake River
Basin countriesUnited States
Surface area6,590 acres (2,670 ha)
Water volume465,000,000 m3 (1.64×1010 cu ft)
Surface elevation541 feet (165 m) [1]

Lake Herbert G. West (or Lake West) is a reservoir formed by the Lower Monumental Dam in the U.S. state of Washington. It extends up the Snake River for 28 miles (45 km) to the tailwater of Little Goose Dam. It has a surface area of 6,590 acres (27 km²), a maximum storage capacity of 432,000 acre-feet (533,000,000 m3), normally kept at 377,000 acre-feet (465,000,000 m3).

As the reservoir filled in 1968, it flooded several archaeological sites, including the Marmes Rockshelter, which contained the oldest known artifacts in Washington, dating back over 10,000 years.

The lake was named for Herbert G. West, a major promoter of inland navigation on the Columbia and Snake rivers.[2]

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  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference nwcouncil was invoked but never defined (see the help page).