article_snippet: Lake Tapps, which was flooded in 1911 to power a hydro-electric dam, swallowed up four and a half square miles of countryside, including an old railway line and parts of a forest.
article_snippet: lake was first formed when the Puget Sound Energy energy company filled the Seattle area with water to generate electricity.
article_snippet: lake stopped producing power in 2009 and has been used for fishing, boating and other waterborne activities since.
article_snippet: New use: lake hasn't been producing hydro-electric power since 2009, and is now just for recreation .
highlights_snippet: Lake Tapps, near Seattle, was created by electricity company in 1911 .
  
highlights_snippet: Four-and-a-half square miles were submerged to power hydro-electric dam .
  