Pritchard Island Beach showcases an interesting range of habitats from a hidden pond and mini amphitheater to charming woodland and wetland bridge- all along Lake Washington. The Green Seattle Partnership supports long-time stewardship efforts to nurture the native plantings at the park. You can read past posts for more information about the park’s restoration efforts. History Link notes that:
“Pritchard Island, a small island on the southwest shore of Lake Washington, was the site of a Duwamish Indian village known as tleelh-chus ("little island") for generations before the first United States settlers arrived in the area in the 1860s. It gained the name Pritchard Island when Alfred J. Pritchard acquired it in 1900 and platted a housing development that was reached by a footbridge over the slough that separated the island from the mainland shore of the lake. The area was annexed into the City of Seattle in 1907. Ten years later, the lowering of Lake Washington due to the opening of the Lake Washington Ship Canal drained the slough, connecting the island to the mainland.”
We pulled copious amounts of noxious buttercup, bindweed, curly dock and more to give the young native plants some breathing room for the summer growing season. A few buckets of mulch for each plant will also help knock back weeds and retain moisture during our naturally dry summertime. After a nature stroll through the woodland everyone enjoyed swimming at the beach.