What’s up with the barge on Capitol Lake? The sight may last all month
If you’ve taken a walk through downtown Olympia or the Capitol Campus lately, you might’ve noticed a barge on Capitol Lake.
Seeing people on the water is a rare sight these days, but the work they’re doing will help advance restoration of the Deschutes Estuary and ultimately bring access to the water back to Olympians.
The Department of Enterprise Services and its estuary restoration project team began conducting soil sampling on and around Capitol Lake in April, and they’re expected to continue working through June. DES spokesperson Adam Holdorf said the barge will be present on the lake until about May 23, depending on how quickly work goes.
The work will help DES complete the next phase of the design process by this December, according to a news release from the department.
Work will take place during weekday business hours. The project team will drill holes to collect samples and evaluate their makeup and the underground conditions.
The information being collected is meant to support structural design of the restored estuary, including roadways, bridges, walkways and habitat berm.
Holdorf said over the last couple of weeks, the team has already completed drilling in three spots near Deschutes Parkway to help inform the future configuration of the roadway.
“We had to drill 75 to 100 feet below the ground to test the soil makeup using a cone penetration test (CPT),” he said.
The work will include temporary rerouting or closures on the pedestrian walking path around the lake and along Olympic Street. The public can expect to see a drilling machine, construction materials and field staff around the lake.
There will be a one-day closure of the walking path near the Marathon Park bridge and drilling within Capitol Lake. DES will notify the public of these closures once they are scheduled.
This story was originally published May 15, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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