Prior
to the construction of the Lake Washington ship canal, the Union Bay Natural
Area was open water fringed by a shoreline emergent wetland. The underlying
lake bottom contains some of the deepest deposits of peat in Washington
state.
1916
When
the lake levels dropped by a total of 11 feet after the canal opened,
the exposed lake bottom rapidly became colonized by emergent wetland plants
forming the Union Bay marsh.
1926
The
city of Seattle and the University of Washington begin dumping & landfill
operations in the Union Bay marsh converting it to the Montlake Landfill.
1966
The
Montlake Landfill closed, capped, and graded.
1972
New
management recommendations put forward for the Union Bay Natural Area.
maintain
educational, recreational, research, wildlife, and aesthetic values
