How Green Is Diablo Lake?

The water running out of the mountains along the North Cascade Highway brings a lot of sediment with it.  The result of this is that the rivers and lakes that form along the route of the pass have a distinct green color to them.  The Skagit River in Newhalem has a clear green color to it.  However, the more dramatic demonstration of this coloration is visible at Diablo Lake.  This lake that is formed behind Diablo Dam has a very green appearance.  It looks like it must have been created artificially but it is just the result of carrying the minerals down from the mountains above.  Of course, a polarizer does a good job of highlighting the color when the reflections are removed.

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