The 1970s ushered in many rapid changes for our community. Development on the east side of Lake Washington was accelerating, and nearby Issaquah was growing as a community. In 1969, the Beaver Lake Water District was formed, and by the end of 1970, many homes on the lake had a reliable and clean source of water for the first time. A fire station was built near Pine Lake, and in 1972, the loop connecting East and West Beaver Lake Drives was completed.
The BLCC was active on many fronts and was successful, in the 1970s, in convincing King County to prohibit the use of gasoline-powered motor boats on the lake. Other efforts to influence land use decisions were less fruitful, and in 1982, King County approved new land use regulations increasing the authorized density from one unit to six units per acre, among other changes. The race to develop the Sammamish Plateau was ongoing, and only a short time later, the Klahanie development began as the first major development in our area.
The 1970s also probably marked a tipping point, where the number of full-time residents on the lake finally began to outnumber the summer-only residents. The fact that all lakefront homes at that time were still on septic systems probably served to curb excess development somewhat while the issues of watershed and shoreline protection were being hammered out. Still, by the close of the 1980s, growth was occurring all around us, and when the county acquired Camp Cabrini in 1985, the new county park drew many new visitors to the lake who came to appreciate the area for its scenic beauty and as a reminder of the recent rural past.
In 1993 the Beaver Lake Community Club instituted the Beaver Lake Triathlon which was held annually until 2013. This popular event exposed many new people to the recreational opportunities in our community and as a result the roads surrounding the lake have become more popular than ever for walking jogging bike riding and other recreation.
Rapid growth on the Sammamish Plateau, coupled with lax oversight by King County, stirred calls for the creation of a new city to be incorporated to better serve the need of residents in our area. The City of Sammamish was incorporated in 1999 and most of the Beaver Lake Watershed area lies within its boundaries. The City has actively tried to preserve some of the remaining green spaces in our community. It has acquired several large parcels in the north end of the lake to establish a system of trails that extend from the Hazel Wolf wetlands that feed Little Beaver Lake through the newly created Beaver Lake Preserve and to the new Soaring Eagle State Park to the north and east.
