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Lake Wilderness is a 69 acre lake located in Maple Valley, Washington. It is surrounded by the beautiful
108 acre Lake Wilderness Park, which is owned by
the City of Maple Valley. The lake has a maximum depth of 38 feet and an average
depth of 21 feet. The lake and park have been a source of pride and recreation
for area residents for decades.
Lake Wilderness was overpowered by milfoil plants in
1994. These plants made it almost impossible to utilize the lake for any
activity. The spaghetti-like weeds entangled swimmers and boaters alike.
Local citizens came together and formed the Lake Wilderness
Preservation Association, a non-profit organization dedicated to solving this
problem. A selective tax district, the Lake Management District (LMD), was
formed to fund treatment of the milfoil, and applies only to citizens in the
watershed. King County owned the park at that time and
provided tools and support. After the City of Maple Valley took over the park,
they created a citizen’s advisory committee (CAC) to oversee the lake. With the help of the CAC and the LMD, the
LWPA was able to substantially eliminate the threat.
Currently, we have an updated lake plan and budget, and all
the tools to maintain our lake quality. We are developing new and better tactics
to use on the lake to limit the noxious weed population and overgrowth of native
weeds. If you see us on a clean-up or just walking in the park, feel free to ask
any questions or email us at lwpa94@yahoo.com.
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