• Downtown Seattle is within 30 minutes of lakes and rivers.Core of Downtown Seattle, WA image by LairMistress from Fotolia.com
  
  Also known as "Rain City," Seattle, Wash., receives up 37 inches of rain on a yearly basis, which means the city's lakes will not dry up anytime soon. The western edge of Seattle faces Puget Sound, a large sound that pours into the Pacific Ocean. Other bodies of water include Lake Washington and Cedar River. Seattle's winter weather is dreary, but opportunities for water-skiing and swimming activities on the city's lakes are available during the summer.
  
  

Puget Sound

• Puget Sound is a 100-mile long sound on the western edge of Seattle and passes by the city's downtown area and suburbs, such as Edmonds and Everett. The sound is an ocean inlet larger than a bay that stretches from Olympia at its southern end to British Columbia in the north. Puget Sound is also home to islands, including the sparsely-populated Camano Island and the urbanized Bainbridge Island. Large cruise lines and cargo ships pass through Puget Sound to the ports in downtown Seattle.
  
  

Lake Washington

• The 315,000-acre Lake Washington is on the northeastern edge of downtown Seattle and borders some of the city's suburbs, such as Medina, Bellevue and Kirkland. This large body of water is fed by the Cedar River and Sammamish River. The lowest depth of Lake Washington is approximately 210 feet. The lake is home to Mercer Island, which has commercial and residential areas. Mercer Island is connected to the mainland via the Floating Bridge to the west and the Channel Bridge to the east.
  
  

Lake Sammamish

• Lake Sammamish is on the eastern edge of the Greater Seattle area, approximately 20 minutes from the downtown area. This 4,800 acre lake is seven miles long and has a maximum depth of 105 feet. The lake is connected to nearby Lake Washington via the Sammamish River. Lake Sammamish is home to a high beaver population and provides opportunities for salmon fishing. Towns on the lake's shores include Redmond, Sammamish and Issaquah. The southern and northern ends of the lake border recreation areas; the southern end is Lake Sammamish State Park, while Marymoor Park is on the northern end.
  
  

Cedar River

• The Cedar River is a 45-mile body of water that begins in western Washington's Cascade Mountains and ends at the southern end of Lake Washington. This river offers salmon and trout fishing. The Cedar River, along with Lake Washington, is the main source of the watershed that serves as Seattle's primary stormwater drainage location. The watershed is also a habitat for wildlife species and plants. Other creeks and rivers that feed into the watershed includes Coal Creek, Forbes Creek and Thornton Creek. All of these creeks are tributaries of Cedar River.