The European discovery of the lake dates to an 1833 surveying party led by Judge John Richards and Major Reuben Sanford; it was named by William C. Redfield.[1] A large avalanche occurred on August 20, 1869, that created a number of the landslides on Mount Colden, the rubble from which substantially raised the level of the lake.[1] Another avalanche in 1942 caused further slides that raised the lake level by 10 feet (3 m).[1]