78 Union Bay 



versity. The building of the ship canal between Puget Sound 

 and Lake Washington had lowered the lake seven and one- 

 half feet below its previous average elevation. Before the 

 work Union Bay was a weed-free and rather deep sheet of 

 water. When the heavy timber around the bay was being 

 logged, a mill had been located on the north bank and steam- 

 ers called at the dock. The first shellhouse was situated on 

 what is now the west side of the marsh. The lowering of the 

 lake left shallow water and mud flats which necessitated 

 moving to Portage Bay, a part of lake Union just west of 

 Union Bay. The next to last shellhouse was built on the 

 northeast side of the ship canal where it entered Union Bay. 

 It has only recently been replaced by the concrete building 

 inside the marsh area. The type and cost of the structure 

 indicates that the site is permanent. 



I was convinced that the earlier days of the sport had little 

 effect on the marsh wildlife, either when the shellhouse was 

 kept in the present marsh area or when the crew operated 

 from the canal. There could have been no direct evils caused 

 by proximity: the practice routes did not cut across the 

 marsh, and the birds did not frequent the deep water of the 

 canal because food could not be obtained there. But had 

 the construction of the new quarters altered the situation? 

 I wondered why I had not given the matter any previous 

 thought. 



I paddled to the mouth of one of the channels leading into 

 the inlet and looked about. The new shellhouse was on 

 the margin of the marsh to the east of the baseball field. The 

 wreck of the old canoehouse stood just to the south. The man- 

 ager and his canoes had transferred residence to the former 

 shellhouse on the canal. The move had probably made lit- 

 tle difference in marsh relations. I supposed that as many 

 people formerly came to the canoehouse as now came to the 

 new rowing headquarters. And yet I knew that many changes 

 had taken place. They must be attributed to causes other 



