Alder Lake covers 3,065 acres when it's full, stretching into Pierce, Thurston and Lewis counties. It is about 30 miles south of Tacoma between the towns of Alder and Elbe. Tacoma Power's Nisqually River Project produces enough electricity to power about 41,000 homes. The lake also provides recreational opportunities at its campgrounds, picnic areas and boat launches. The project includes about 3,300 acres of wildlife habitat. It has been more than half a century since the old town of Alder was submerged behind a dam, creating the seven-mile-long Alder Lake reservoir. The recent dry weather and the increased need to drain the lake to make electricity have lowered the water level enough to expose the foundations of buildings that once stood there. It has prompted passers-by to walk the streets of the former townsite and stirred memories in former residents. Few remember what it was like before the water came in 1944, when about 200 people lived in Alder.