Nature

Lupin wildflowers and ponderosa pines border a trail overlooking Lake Roosevelt.

NPS Photo

Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area is a land of contrasts. Cold, snowy winters are matched by hot, arid summers. The bright colors of spring are hard to imagine during the thick autumn fog. The landscape, too, varies dramatically between north and south due to differences in geology and climate. The mountains in the north support dense pine forests thanks to higher rainfall. The flat plateaus to the south receive little moisture, and a hardy sagebrush-steppe ecosystem thrives on the dry, sandy soils.

Wildlife species are just as varied at Lake Roosevelt. Mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians thrive on both land and water. Lake Roosevelt and its tributaries support a fish community that today is considerably different from the native fish community of the early 1900s due to habitat alteration and non-native species.

The Lake Roosevelt watershed drains about 44,969 square miles, 88% of which is Canada. The lake extends more than 154 miles along the Columbia River through the national recreation area and includes the lower reaches of many rivers and streams. Most of the water in lake comes from glacial ice, lakes and snow high in the Canadian Rockies. The lake culminates at the Grand Coulee Dam, which is the driving force of the recreation area itself.