Rattlesnake Lake is a beautiful manmade lake just past the town of North Bend, Washington. It is located just below the Cedar River/Lake Washington Watershed and education center. The center—nestled on a ridge overlooking the lake serves to teach young and old visitors about the local ecology system, here in the Northwest. The water shed is a collection of melted snow and rain and about 78% filters through, from the Cedar River to the Ballard Locks.

The center’s goal was to not stand out starkly amongst the background of dense wooded forest, but rather blend in. This was achieved by using recycled materials. The education center features covered walkways with roofs composed of sod that connect to the building. The building itself, is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified.

The Cedar River/Lake Washington Watershed is the area where rainwater collects and drains into Lake Washington. This water flows down through Lake Union to the Hiram Chittenden Locks (also known as the Ballard Locks) and eventually out to the Puget Sound. The Cedar River/Lake Washington watershed includes May Creek, Coal Creek, it flows around Mercer Island, as well as through the Mercer Slough. It also feeds into Kelsey Creek, Fairweather Creek, Yarrow Creek, Juanita Creek, Forbes Creek, Lyon Creek, McAleer Creek and Thornton Creek. Then it flows past Seattle into Ravenna Creek and then finally Lake Washington. This watershed is the habitat for at least 83 species of different fish and wild life. Of these, there are 14 species that are on the endangered list. This includes Chinook salmon and Sockeye salmon. This watershed is rumored to be one of the few remaining salmon habitats in the country. It is thought to be the best salmon area in King County.

The education center is owned and operated by Seattle Public Utilities. The education center serves to educate visitors (younger, as well as older students and parents alike) about how to preserve the future of our drinking water, salmon habitats and forests. Over the course of the year, the center features conferences, retreats and programs all based around informing the public of environmental stewardship.

The center is divided into five main areas. The Exhibit hall uses interactive hands-on exhibits and activities to tell visitors the unique story behind the watershed. The Loon and Lichen laboratories feature actual areas where children can get very hands-on. They’ll learn how to preserve natural resources through the use of microscopes, water test kits and other tools.

When you visit the heritage library, you’ll have access to artifacts collected, showcasing 9,400 years of human presence in the watershed. These artifacts help ecologists and visitors alike, form an understanding of the cultural and natural history of the watershed. The auditorium is where the center hosts field trips, retreats, conferences and even wedding receptions on a rare occasion. The Heritage court, comprised of the sod roof covered walkways is a reflection of the natural ecology with native plants, a flowing stream and rain drums played exclusively by collected falling rain.

The center is located 35 miles east of Seattle. Take I-90 East to Exit 32. Go south (right) on Cedar Falls Road for 3.5 miles. The Education Center is located at the end of the road, 3/4 mile past Rattlesnake Lake (on right) and Iron Horse State Park (on left).

Photo courtesy land8lounge.com