A beautiful place to live — and a lot of trees near the water
Lake Tapps is one of the prettiest spots in Pierce County. The lake is actually a reservoir: it was created in 1911, when dikes were built around four smaller lakes to store water for hydroelectric power. Power generation ended in 2004, and today the lake is best known for summer boating, swimming and lakeside living. It stretches about 4.5 miles long, with roughly 45 miles of winding shoreline, coves and peninsulas.
The Lake Tapps community sits between Bonney Lake and Auburn, and much of the shoreline is lined with waterfront and view homes tucked among tall Douglas firs and cedars. From many spots around the lake — including the peninsula viewpoint at North Lake Tapps Park — Mount Rainier rises to the south. Those trees and those views are a big part of why people love living here, and they are exactly what careful tree work should protect.
Recent work at Lake Tapps
Real photos from our own work on the lake: a crane-assisted removal of tall evergreens on a lakefront property, and one of our arborists with a loaded log trailer by the water.
Protecting your view
On a lake, the view is often the most valuable thing on the property. As firs and maples grow, they slowly close in the window to the water or the mountain. Our view clearing starts with the lightest touch that works: selective limb removal, crown thinning and crown raising to open sight lines while keeping the trees healthy and natural-looking. We avoid topping, which leads to weak, bushy regrowth and often makes the problem worse a few years later. When a tree really is in the way, dead or declining, we can remove it and keep the trees around it.
Careful removals near the water, docks and homes
Waterfront lots are rarely simple. Many slope down to the water, with the house above and a lawn, deck, dock or boat lift below — and there is usually no safe place to drop a tall tree in one piece. Our climbers take trees down in controlled sections, lowering limbs and wood with ropes so they land where we want them, not in the lake, on the dock or across the lawn. For bigger trees in tight spots, we bring in crane support, as on the lakefront job above.
- Sectional removal and rigging to keep wood off roofs, decks, docks and boats.
- Low impact removals that keep heavy equipment off lawns, landscaping and septic areas wherever possible.
- Hazard tree removal for dead, leaning or cracked trees close to the house or the shoreline.
- Wind sailing for tall evergreens you want to keep but would like to catch less wind.
Trees that frame the lake
- Douglas fir — the tall, straight evergreens that frame so many Lake Tapps views.
- Western red cedar — graceful and long-lived, but many are showing thin crowns or dead tops after recent dry summers.
- Bigleaf maple — fast-growing, heavy-limbed and quick to block a view.
- Red alder — common on ground that was once cleared, fast-growing and prone to decay as it ages.
Wind across open water
Wind builds across open water, and shoreline trees take the brunt of it during fall and winter storms. Soil near the water can stay soft and wet through the rainy season, which makes it easier for a tree to tip. If a storm leaves a tree on your house, across your driveway or hung up in another tree, call our 24/7 emergency tree service. If anything is touching a power line, stay back and call the utility first.
Clean up that respects your waterfront
We know your yard is part of the view. When the work is done, we clean up thoroughly. Let us know ahead of time if you would like to keep some of the wood for firewood. Add stump grinding if you would like the stump gone so the lawn can grow back.
Why Lake Tapps homeowners call us
We are a family-owned, licensed and insured tree service based nearby in Orting. Every job starts with a consultation and a free, no-obligation quote, and we will always tell you if trimming or view pruning is a better choice than removal. Live just off the lake? See our Bonney Lake tree service page too.
More of our tree work
More tree services
Tree removal · Tree trimming & pruning · Stump grinding · 24/7 emergency service