Lake Tahuya

     Lake Tahuya (often spelled "Tahuyeh") is a 150-acre man-made lake that forms the headwaters of the Tahuya River - the longest anadromous river on the Kitsap Peninsula. 

     The lake is fed by three upstream tributaries - Tin Mine, Gold, and Grata Creeks - each containing documented salmon spawning and rearing habitat for coho, cutthroat and steelhead trout.  

    "Lake Tahuya has good water quality and healthy fish populations, according to Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. The lake provides habitat for many species of waterfowl, songbirds, and birds of prey, reptiles and amphibians, many of which depend on the plants and vegetation for food and cover. 

    At one time the lake bottom was an oligotrophic bog, meaning it was nutrient-poor, acidic and rich in oxygen. This led to the formation of peat and the proliferation of a unique vegetation community characteristic of such conditions.

    Peat is an organic soil material which forms slowly, about 1 inch in thickness in 40 years. The peat resources of Tahuya Lake have been measured to be as deep as 12 feet and at the rate of one inch in 40 years, some have been forming for nearly 5,800 years. This is a non-renewable resource, and it is obvious that any peat deposits that are removed cannot be replaced for many lifetimes." 

Department of Ecology 1997