Glacial Lake Russell

Lake Russell
Glacial lakes Lake Puyallup & Early Lake Russell
Location	Puget Sound Kitsap County, Washington
Coordinates	47°25′11″N 122°24′53″W / 47.419730°N 122.414608°W / 47.419730; -122.414608Coordinates: 47°25′11″N 122°24′53″W / 47.419730°N 122.414608°W / 47.419730; -122.414608
Lake type	Glacial lake (former)
Primary inflows	Vashon Lob 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 lake developed, Lake Russell was the largest and the longest lasting. Early Lake Russell’s surface was at 350 ft (110 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 and then when it reached the Clifton channel outlet, the water levels dropped to 350 m (1,150 ft) 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..

Lake Russell is named for geologist, Isaac Russell.

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

Early Lake Russell formed in the southern basins of Puget Sound. As the glacial ice retreated northward, the geologic troughs, which create the basins of the sound remained blocked from the northward outlets, until the Tacoma Narrows cleared, the basins east of Tacoma remained separate from those to the west. Lake Tacoma is the name given to these eastern waters, until they merged with those of Lake Russell to the west. Lake Nisqually was the name given to the freshwater in the Nisqually Reach, until the ice front retreated far enough north for the meltwaters covered the land between the mouth of the Nisqually River and Olympia, joining a freshwater lake in the Budd Inlet and Black Lake forming Early Lake Russell. Lake Russell filled the basins of the Eld Inlet, Budd Inlet, Henderson Inlet, and the great curve of the Nisqually Reach, northward to the Tacoma Narrows, and the highgrounds between then up to 160 feet (49 m) above sea level.