Photography

MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES

Kari Hollandsworth from Renton checks out a view of Chester Morse Lake while on a tour of the Cedar River Watershed. Educational tours into the protected watershed are offered through August.

City of Seattle's Cedar River Watershed covers 91,000 acres and is the primary source of drinking water for the greater Seattle area. The South Fork of the Tolt River supplies the other 40 percent. The primary reservoir storing Seattle's water is Chester Morse Lake, which is five and a half miles long and is located southeast of the city of North Bend. This drains into another body of water that is held back by the Masonry Dam. The dam adjusts the water flow into the Cedar River and also supplies one to two percent of Seattle City Light's power. Some of this water, flowing in the Cedar River, is withdrawn and treated to make sure it is safe to drink before reaching Seattle. This protected land is the home of many different species of fish and wildlife. Educational tours into the protected watershed are offered through August. For more information, visit http://www.seattle.gov/util/crwec, For more photos, visit the gallery.

MIKE SIEGEL / THE SEATTLE TIMES

This young Rocky Mountain Elk, seen along the tour, gestures to its mother just visible at far right.