Every Lake
Swift Reservoir
A 512-foot earthfill dam backed up the Lewis River here in 1958.
- 9 ft · first step
- 17 ft
- 26 ft
- 35 ft
- 44 ft
- 52 ft · bottom
About Swift Reservoir
Swift Reservoir formed in 1958, when Pacific Power & Light finished Swift Dam on the North Fork Lewis River about five miles east of Cougar, Washington. At 512 feet, it ranked among the tallest earthfill dams in the world at the time. The dam and its powerhouse feed a 240-megawatt plant now run by PacifiCorp, part of a three-dam chain on the Lewis River that also includes Yale and Merwin.
The reservoir sits at the base of Mount St. Helens' south side, drawing anglers after kokanee salmon and rainbow trout from small boats out of Cougar. Afternoon winds funnel down the valley with enough consistency that windsurfers and kiteboarders treat it as a regular stop. Water levels are drawn down each winter for flood control, exposing wide mudflats and old stumps along the shoreline before the lake fills back up in summer.
- 33 roads engraved around the shore, 1 of them labeled
- 6 depth layers, each step engraved with its depth in feet
- Compass rose, title block with coordinates, max depth and area; keyhole hanger on the back
Turn it in your hands
Live 3D of the actual cut files — drag to orbit, pinch to zoom. Every road you see is engraved on the real thing.
Viewer not showing? Open it full screen.
Swift Reservoir depth chart, in wood
This is a Swift Reservoir depth chart you can hang: 6 stacked layers of birch, each one a depth contour — 9 ft, 17 ft, 26 ft, 35 ft, 44 ft and deeper, down to the deepest hole at about 52 ft. The lake covers about 6.7 square miles, and 33 shore roads are engraved around it. The shape of the bottom is the real one from published soundings, so anglers recognise their drop-offs and points.
A Swift Reservoir map for the wall — or a gift
Most of these go to a cabin wall, a lake house entry, or a home office; a lot are gifts — the family that has been on Swift Reservoir for three generations, the retirement move, the first boat. The 12-inch is the desk-and-shelf size; the 24- and 30-inch boards read across a room. Add a line under the title and star your place on the shore, and it becomes the map of your Swift Reservoir.
Swift Reservoir map — the details
How big is the map?
Four sizes: 12, 17, 24 and 30 inches on the long side, from $149. Every size is cut from the same depth data of Swift Reservoir; the bigger boards carry more shoreline roads and place names.
Is it made from real depth data?
Yes. Swift Reservoir is cut layer by layer from published bathymetric soundings — each layer of birch is a depth contour, so the shape of the bottom is the real one, not decorative.
Can I add my own place on it?
Yes. At checkout you can add a line under the title (a family name, a cabin name, a year) and star the spot on the shore that matters to you.
How long does it take?
Made to order in Waterford, Pennsylvania and shipped in 7–10 days; shipping is free in the lower 48.
Can you make a lake that isn't listed?
Any lake in the United States — we hold depth data for 104,419 of them. Search for yours; if it isn't built yet we build it when you order.
- 6 depth layers down to 52 ft
- 6.7 square miles of water
- 33 shore roads engraved, 1 named
- Title block, compass rose and depth markers
- Birch plywood, keyhole hanger, made in Waterford, PA
