Archives West Finding Aid

In the winter of 1936 a major WPA-funded clean-up of Seattle's Green Lake was undertaken. For decades, the lake had been subject to algae bloom and outbreaks of green scum and foul odor, causing "swimmer's itch" for many unfortunate swimmers. The massive project included dredging the lake, building an island (originally named Swan Island, now commonly called Duck Island) as a wildlife sanctuary, and building a water-aerating fountain in the middle of the lake (which was never built). In May of 1936, work on the project was halted, for a few months, due to an explosion on the dredge in May of 1936. Work on the project was stopped in September of 1937, with only one-quarter of completed, due to cost overruns and mismanagement. This project was partially successful in building a wildlife sanctuary(Swan Island), it also allowed the construction of a wading pool at the lake's north end. Finally, the project diverted spring water flowing off Phinney Ridge at the lake's southwest back into the lake, which helped to purify the water.