Chelan

 

(shəlăn') , 55 mi (89 km) long and from 1 to 2 mi (1.6–3.2 km) wide, located in a deep narrow gorge in the Cascade Range, NW Wash.; third-deepest freshwater lake in the United States. Fed by streams from the Cascade Range, the lake flows into the Columbia River via the Chelan River. Lake Chelan Dam, built at the lake's outlet, generates electricity. The northern part of the lake is part of the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area (see National Parks and Monuments, table).

See Chelan for other uses.

Lake Chelan
Domke Falls
Location	Washington, USA
Coordinates	47°50′28″N, 120°02′47″WCoordinates: 47°50′28″N, 120°02′47″W
Basin countries	United States
Max length	50.4 miles
Max width	1 mile (average)
Surface area	52.1 mi² (134.9 km²)
Average depth	474 ft (43 m)
Max depth	1,486 ft (453 m)
Water volume	4.68 mi² (19.50 km³)
Residence time (of lake water)	10.6 years
Shore length1	109.2 miles (175.7 km)
Surface elevation	1,098 ft (335 m)
Settlements	Chelan, Manson, Stehekin, Holden, Lucerne
References	[1][2]
1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure.

Lake Chelan ( 47°50′28″N, 120°02′47″W) is a narrow, 50-mile-long lake in Chelan County, northern Washington state, USA.^[1] The name Chelan is a Salish Indian word Tsi - Laan meaning deep water.^[3]

Fed by streams from the Cascade Range, Lake Chelan has maximum depth of 1,486 feet (though some sources cite 1,419 feet), making it the third deepest lake in the country and the ninth deepest in the world.^[1][4] The surface of the lake is 1,098 feet (335 m) above sea level, while the average width of the lake is one mile.^[1]

The city of Chelan sits at the southeast tip of the lake, where its water flows into the Chelan River through the hydroelectric Lake Chelan Dam. At the northwest end of the lake is the town of Stehekin. Access to the far end of the lake is limited to boat, float plane, or hiking. Lake Chelan State Park lies along the southern shore of the lake, and can be accessed from the city of Chelan by road. The northern portion of the lake is protected by Lake Chelan National Recreation Area.

References

External links

• National Parks Service Lake Chelan
• University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – Lawrence Denny Lindsley Photographs Includes 66 images (ca. 1907 – 1950) of Lake Chelan and nearby settlements.
• 360° Tour of Lake Chelan
• Schoolbus plunges into Lake Chelan, killing 15 students and the driver, on November 26, 1945.

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