The Mountaineers
The Enchantments - a treasured landscape for our community - is home to some of the most breathtaking backcountry recreation opportunities in Washington state. In the midst of all this natural beauty, though, you might stumble upon an unexpected feature: human-made dams.
For years, The Mountaineers community has provided feedback on a Washington Department of Ecology planning process to replace the Eightmile Lake Dam in the Enchantments permit zone of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. The 95-year-old dam is a critical source for drinking water, irrigation, and salmon hatcheries in the Leavenworth area, but is currently considered structurally unsafe.
Earlier this summer, the Department of Ecology released their final plan - called a Final Environmental Impact Statement - to rebuild the Eightmile Lake Dam. The state’s preferred construction plan will increase the footprint of the dam and restore the storage capacity of the lake to meet irrigation needs, while minimizing the dam’s visibility to recreationists.
As this project transitions from the planning phase to construction, learn how our community helped shape the final plan, how construction will likely impact recreation in the Alpine Lakes Wilderness, and next steps and timeline for the project.
How The Mountaineers Shaped the Final Plan
When the Washington Department of Ecology first proposed the idea of replacing the Eightmile Lake Dam in 2021, our community spoke up for backcountry recreation and conservation as a part of that process. We submitted comments sharing our concerns about undertaking a massive construction project in wilderness, while members of our community signed onto a petition advocating for solutions that maintained public access.
In 2023, the state released three possible plans for reconstructing Eightmile Lake Dam. The plans incorporated our community’s main concerns: they would not build new roads or use overland vehicle transport during construction. Unfortunately, several of our concerns with the project’s impact on wilderness character and recreation remained. We sent another comment letter to the state and members of our community shared their concerns directly during the public comment period.
We’re pleased to see that the Final Environmental Impact Statement further incorporates some of our feedback. During the estimated 15 to 20-week construction period, the trail around the dam will be rerouted so that recreationists can continue to access hiking and backpacking opportunities around Eightmile Lake. The state will also notify the public about construction schedules and activities, including associated noise from helicopters and construction equipment, before the annual opening of the Enchantments lottery, and regularly update the U.S. Forest Service website with relevant project information.
Our Concerns With the Final Environmental Impact Statement
Although the Department of Ecology addressed many of our concerns in their Final Environmental Impact Statement, we still have some reservations. We remain concerned that the rebuild will expand the footprint of the existing dam. The Eightmile Lake Dam was built before the Alpine Lakes area was first protected as Wilderness. In order to avoid unnecessary impacts to the area’s wilderness character, the state should reduce the footprint of the dam, rather than expand it.
We’re also disappointed to see that the plan would raise the water level of Eightmile Lake during summer months. That means recreationists will have a changed view of the lake during peak visitation months to the Enchantments permit zone.
Anticipated Impacts to Recreation
In addition to changing recreationists' experience at Eightmile Lake in summer months, the rebuild’s plan to raise water levels would reduce the shoreline area available for recreation by approximately four feet, eliminating the use of informal routes around the lake during peak visitation season. Established hiking trails and backcountry camping areas would not be affected.
Noise from construction would also impact recreation in the area, especially when helicopters are used to transport construction materials. Many recreationists will be able to avoid that noise pollution because the state will notify the public about scheduled noise from helicopters and construction equipment before the Enchantments lottery opens. But, considering the popularity of the Enchantments area for hiking and backpacking, some recreationists will inevitably be exposed to noise from construction during their trips.
According to the final plan, construction would not begin until summer 2025 at the earliest. Before the dam rebuild can begin, the Forest Service needs to conduct a federal environmental analysis of the plan to make sure it’s consistent with the Wilderness Act. Construction cannot move forward until that analysis is complete.
Thanks for your ongoing advocacy for backcountry recreation and wilderness preservation in this cherished wilderness area. We will keep our community updated as the project moves forward.
Mountaineers advocacy was instrumental in protecting recreation at Eightmile Lake. Consider taking our Advocacy 101 eLearning course to learn how to make an impact during future public lands comment periods.
