Lake Washington sunken forests

Download coordinates as: The Lake Washington sunken forests were both a part of the scientific discovery of a major fault line under Seattle, Washington, and part of a timber piracy case in the late 20th century.

[4] The landslides on heavily wooded land created "bizarre submerged forests" of old-growth timber, preserved by the cool water and low oxygen in the deep lake.

[6] Tortorelli broke an underwater sewer line and during the investigation of this incident, it was found that he had been salvaging wood from the sunken forests.

The state said he did not have a permit for this, and in 1994 charged him as a timber pirate, with the theft of over $150,000 worth of lumber.

The decision rested on a determination that the Federal Submerged Lands Act of 1953 applied to the underwater forests and not just traditional seabed or lakebed natural resources (molluscs, minerals etc.)