Editing North Cascades National Park (section)

=== Water features ===

More than 500 lakes and ponds are located within North Cascades National Park.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lakes and ponds|url=https://www.nps.gov/noca/learn/nature/lakesandponds.htm|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=April 5, 2018}}</ref> Many of these are devoid of fish, not uncommon in steep terrain where fish may not be able to access high altitude waterways. Around 240 of these lakes exist in the higher elevations and stocking of some of these lakes with fish has been ongoing since the late 19th century.<ref>{{cite web|title=Natural Resource Issues|url=https://www.nps.gov/noca/learn/nature/natural-resource-issues.htm|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=March 26, 2018|date=January 19, 2018}}</ref> Fishing in these lakes, which, without fish stocking, do not have native fish, is part of the area's economy and tourism.<ref name="hreport11368">{{cite web|last=House Committee on Natural Resources|title=House Report 113-68|url=http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-113hrpt68/pdf/CRPT-113hrpt68.pdf|publisher=Government Printing Office|access-date=July 18, 2013}}</ref> In 2008 an Environmental Impact Statement was produced that examined whether these lakes should continue to be stocked, and if so, what the impact would be on native species such as salamanders and other aquatic life.<ref name="eis">{{cite web|title=Mountain Lakes Fishery Management Plan / Environmental Impact Statement (2008)|url=https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectID=10007|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=March 26, 2018}}</ref> The North Cascades National Park Service Complex Fish Stocking Act, signed in 2014, directs the NPS to allow stocking of non-reproducing fish in no more than 42 lakes, making it the only national park to continue to stock non-native fish in park lakes.<ref name="1158sum">{{cite web|title=H.R. 1158 - Summary|url=http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/1158|publisher=United States Congress|access-date=June 13, 2013}}</ref><ref name="nptraveler">{{cite news|last=Repanshek|first=Kurt|date=June 3, 2009|title=House Approves Measure to Direct North Cascades National Park to Stock Barren Lakes. What Do You Think?|newspaper=National Parks Traveler|url=http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2009/06/house-approves-measure-direct-north-cascades-national-park-stock-barren-lakes-what-do-you-th|access-date=July 18, 2013}}</ref> The prior decision not to continue to stock the lakes with fish was part of a larger debate about what "natural" means in reference to national parks.<ref name="seattletimes2009">{{cite news|last=Le|first=Phuong|date=April 13, 2009|title=Fish stocking ban looms at Wash. national park|newspaper=Seattle Times|url=http://seattletimes.com/html/nationworld/2009029873_apfishstockingcascades.html|access-date=July 18, 2013}}</ref>
[[File:Thunder Creek.jpg|thumb|left|Thunder Creek is known for its milky appearance from suspended rock particles called glacial flour.|alt=A medium-sized river flows through a wooded landscape. The water is slightly milky in appearance.]]
Hundreds of creeks and streams and several rivers originate within the park. The streams at higher elevation are often directly supplied by [[meltwater]] from glaciers, and they carry finely ground rock particles commonly referred to as [[glacial flour]].<ref name="river">{{cite web|title=Rivers and Streams|url=https://www.nps.gov/noca/learn/nature/rivers.htm|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=March 26, 2018}}</ref> Turning the water a turquoise hue at times, this finely ground powder remains suspended in lakes the creeks flow into, also causing some of them to appear turquoise. [[Thunder Creek (Washington)|Thunder Creek]] is particularly well known for this attribute, as it is supplied melt water from dozens of glaciers and transports the suspended particles into [[Diablo Lake]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Thunder Creek and Park Creek Trails|url=https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/thunder-creek-trail.htm|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=March 30, 2018}}</ref>

The Skagit River divides the park into the north and south districts; it lies within the Ross Lake NRA and outside of the national park boundaries, but some of the creeks and streams that supply it originate within the national park; the [[Baker River (Washington)|Baker River]] is the largest of these tributaries.<ref name="river"/> The Skagit River is the largest river that flows into Puget Sound to the west, and the dams located in Ross Lake National Recreation Area and impounding other lakes adjacent to the park supply nearly 90&nbsp;percent of the electricity used in Seattle.<ref>{{cite web|title=How Our Electricity is Generated|url=http://www.seattle.gov/light/FuelMix/|publisher=Seattle City Light|access-date=March 26, 2018}}</ref> Other important rivers that originate in the park include the [[Vedder River|Chilliwack]], Nooksack and the Stehekin rivers.<ref name="river"/>
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