Cropley Lake is an alpine lake in the Juneau, Alaska, United States. Located on Douglas Island, it is southwest of Table Top Mountain, and southwest of the city of Juneau. Cropley Lake is the source of Fish Creek.
History It is named after Isaac Cropley, a miner who worked in the Juneau area from around 1887 until his death in 1913.DeArmond, Robert. Some Names Around Juneau. Sitka Press. 1957.
In 1975, the Juneau Lions Club built a trail from the Eaglecrest Ski Area to the lake. It was used actively for about ten years, but a lack of maintenance cause the trail to become overgrown.Kelley, Tim. Juneau Lions Club - Cropley Lake Trail. Alaska Lost Ski Areas Project. Accessed July 11, 2010. The trail was between long.DuFresne, Jim. Alaska: A Travel Survival Kit. Lonely Planet. 1994.Barrett, Pam. Alaska. Insight Guides, Langenscheidt. 2002. On June 7, 2010, the Juneau Assembly was to appropriate a $133,180 grant from the Alaska Department of Natural Resources to fund improvements to a nearby trail from the Eaglecrest lodge to a bridge over Fish Creek. Excess funds were to be used to build a new trail to Cropley Lake.Juneau Daily News Latest Edition . Alaska Juneau Communications - KINY Radio. June 7, 2010. Accessed July 11, 2010. Planned improvements to the Eaglecrest Ski Area include a day-use cabin at Cropley Lake. In the 1990s, the ski area used about of water from the lake every day and a total of about per year. The water is used for hydroelectric power generation.Ireland, Roy, and Mauer, Mary A. Alaska Department of Natural Resources. December 1995. Accessed July 11, 2010.
Skiers have had some close run-ins with avalanches near the lake, including in 1987 and on March 1, 2001.
Wildlife and climate Just below the lake there is a barrier to prevent upstream fish movement.Bethers, Mike; Munk, Kris; and Seifert, Cheryl. Juneau Fish Habitat Assessment. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. 1995. Between June 26 and 27, 2010, Juneau-area scientists conducted a two-day wildlife survey of the Cropley Lake/Fish Creek drainage area. Dolly Varden trout has been noted residing in the lake. Accessed July 11, 2010. The fish in the lake are small, ranging from .Juneau Area Fishing Report. Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Accessed July 11, 2010. A single Clark's nutcracker was seen at the lake on July 5, 1975.Erwin, Carol. [alaskabirds-l] addendum to Clark's Nutcracker posting . University of Alaska Fairbanks alaskabirds mailing list. August 22, 2002. Accessed July 11, 2010.
Cropley Lake is located in a cirque. The soil around the shores of the lake consists mainly of muskeg covering till (glacial sediment) above bedrock. Trees on the shore are up to about 400 years old. The lake is naturally dammed but also has two small man-made dams to raise its level.Miller, Robert D. United States Department of the Interior. 1972. Accessed July 11, 2010.
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