In 1951 Capitol Lake was created and thereoff became an icon of Olympia Washington's society. It was a lake open to the public, allowing them to swim and race boats. As time has passed, the quality of the lake has no longer met Washington State Standards, and was shut off from public access.

It has become the time to realize that the lake we once had is almost unobtainable, and that we need to focus on the solution to the many problems of the lake, which I believe would be turning it into an estuary. To begin with, the lake is recieving sediment washed down from the Deshutes River. This has lowered the depth of the lake, increasing the temperature, and causing stress on aquatic plants. Also, the lake is infested with the New Zeland Mud Snail. This species has no natural predators. Making the lake into an estuary will allow for the flow of saltwater, which the snail cannot survive in, therefore making the population die out. In an estuary, aquatic life will also be in a healthier environment compared to a lake. Currently, there are low dissolved oxygen levels. With an estuary, the dissolved oxygen levels will grow, benefitting the aqautic life.

Costs for the lake should also be taken into consideration. An estuary could cost up to 90 million dollars, while keeping the lake including dredging could cost up to 154 million.

One could argue that the cost is worth the attraction and symbloism the lake provides for Olympia. However, I believe we want to promote the fact that we are doing what's right for the environment, not just what looks good.