Frothy white suds appear along the shores of Soap Lake on breezy days. No one really knows what causes the unique froth but it makes for a magical site as it piles a foot high or more in places visible from Highway 17 which parallels the east shore of the lake.

Episodes of lakeside suds are more prevalent during fall, early winter and spring months when the temperature of the air and the water surface are cooler. During summer months the sun heats the surface of the water and there are less incidence of suds unless the temperature drops below 60 degrees and the wind kicks up.

People who have lived or visited Soap Lake for over 40 years talk about days in the 1940s and 50s when the suds would be three or four feet high and create quite a spectacle when the wind blew clumps of suds across the highway.

Mineral Content

There are 23 different minerals in Soap Lake water. The mineral content of Soap lake water has been analyzed many times throughout the last 95 years. Concentration of different minerals has changed over this time. The most recent analysis was conducted in 2000.

The results of the analysis is as follows:

Minerals
Sodium
Bicarbonate
Sulfate
Carbonate
Chloride
Potassium

mg/L
5760
2480
2540
3840
2290
504

Minerals
Organic Nitrogen
Fluoride
Ortho-Phosphate
Nitrate
Calcium
Magnesium

mg/L
.9
7.2
6.3
0.7
2.5
2.9

Less than .01 of Aluminum, Iron, Copper, Rubidium, Lithium, Strontium, Barium, Chromium, Lead, Manganese, Titanium, Vanadium, and Boron.

There is also a high concentration of organic substances such as ichthyols suspended or dissolved in Soap Lake water.

The Mud

Soap Lake mud is highly coveted by visitors who use it for many different purposes. Mud packs have been found to be beneficial in the treatment of chronic inflammation, bruises, sprains, boils, insect bites, acne, eczema and other skin and circulatory disorders.

Soap Lake mud is thick and creamy like the softest cold cream. It is jet black and in its purest form is jelly-like. The mud has a pungent, organic odor. It dries to a dark grey-green color. When dry, the mud flakes off as an extremely fine-grained powder. It does not stain clothing.

When applied, the cold moisture in the mud relaxes skin pores and draws blood to the surface. After a mud pack the skin looks and feels tighter. On a summer day, dozens of people can be seen on the east and west beaches covered from head-to-toe with mud. The mud is a protected, non-renewable resource of this unique lake. It can be found in only a few locations and must be obtained from the lakebed, beneath the water.