Ross Lake, Reservoir in North Cascades, Washington and British Columbia.
Ross Lake is a reservoir that stretches through the forested mountains of the North Cascades, reaching significant depths behind a concrete dam built across the Skagit River. The water body separates Washington from British Columbia and offers a long, winding shoreline surrounded by dense woods.
Ross Dam was built in three stages between 1937 and 1949 and stands 540 feet tall. It was first called Ruby Dam; the dam and reservoir were later named after James D. Ross, superintendent of Seattle City Light's Skagit River hydroelectric project. A planned fourth stage was shelved after a 1984 power-purchasing agreement with British Columbia delayed further expansion for 80 years.
The lake and dam carry the name of James D. Ross, superintendent of Seattle City Light's Skagit River Hydroelectric Project, which built the dam. The reservoir lies within Ross Lake National Recreation Area in Washington and Skagit Valley Provincial Park in British Columbia.
A gravel road from Hope, British Columbia, reaches the lake's north end, ending just inside the United States; travelers must reenter Canada to leave. From the American side there are no settlements or roads for tens of kilometers. Free, first-come, first-served backcountry camping permits are issued by the National Park Service in Marblemount.
Ross Lake Resort, a dozen cabins and three bunkhouses resting entirely on log booms about a quarter mile from the dam, detaches from its shore moorings in winter and moves to the centre of the lake. The annual drawdown for flood control on the Skagit River leaves the water too low at the shoreline.
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