Lake Washington sunken forests
The Lake Washington sunken forests were both a part of the scientific discovery of a major fault line under Seattle, Washington, and part of a timber piracy case in the late 20th century. In a precedent-setting case, the Washington State Supreme Court decided that ancient drowned forests are state property and not eligible for salvage.
A major earthquake (magnitude 7 to 7.5) occurred on the Seattle Fault about 900 C.E., creating multiple forms of evidence that led to the discovery of the fault and its description in Science in 1992. One of the forms of evidence was landslides at three locations around Lake Washington: off the southeast corner of Mercer Island (47°31′30″N 122°13′15″W / 47.52500°N 122.22083°W), on the west side of the island across from Seattle's Seward Park (47°33′45″N 122°14′00″W / 47.56250°N 122.23333°W), and one near Saint Edward State Park in present-day Kirkland, Washington (47°42′30″N 122°15′15″W / 47.70833°N 122.25417°W).
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