Stewards of the Lake Whatcom Reservoir
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A CITY of BELLINGHAM GUIDE to the LAKE WHATCOM WATERSHED STEWARD S O F T H E SPRING 2007 Lake Whatcom is the source of drinking water to some 95,000 people in Whatcom County, including the 82,000 served by the City of Bellingham. The health of this tremendously important resource is declining, and at a pace that is faster than expected. Local governments are working hard to study the lake and make wise decisions about its future. We have made Lake Whatcom protection efforts a top priority for 2007, and will consider rigorous steps to This report is dedicated protect our lake. These steps will include protecting to the memory of more undeveloped land in the watershed, improving Bellingham City Council stormwater treatment, and helping watershed member Joan Beardsley, residents become better stewards of the lake. who helped initiate its creation before her death on March 12, 2007. Joan Protecting Lake Whatcom is our responsibility, was a long-time Bellingham not one we should leave to our children or resident, a much-loved grandchildren. There is no magic wand, there’s just and respected educator, us. We know the lake is changing, and for each day, and a thoughtful, engaged each month, each year we delay, it will take another community leader. May her day or month or year to bring our lake back to passion for the environment health. Let’s get the job done. and public service continue to inspire us all. Tim Douglas Mayor of Bellingham Nootka rose (Rosa nutkana) is native to Washington. WORKING TOGETHER T O P R E S E R V E A N D S TEWARD S O F T HE Why is the City publishing this report? WHAT’S INSIDE 4 How has Lake Whatcom changed? ake Whatcom, precious on its northwestern shoreline. Our city community treasure and thrives on the drinking water we draw 6 Is our drinking water safe? drinking water reservoir, spans from the lake and are responsible for several jurisdictional boundaries delivering to 82,000 residents. And our 8 Why is the City of Bellingham buying land? — the City of Bellingham, city prides itself as a national leader What is government doing? How can I help? LWhatcom County and the Lake Whatcom in environmental stewardship and 10 Water and Sewer District. innovation. 11 Construction and boating laws Human activities along the shores and As the health of Lake Whatcom declines, Lake Whatcom map and facts on the surface of Lake Whatcom have a city residents have a special responsibility 12 profound impact on the lake, and these to preserve this resource. City officials What do federal and state rules require? three jurisdictions have teamed up over are calling on Bellingham residents 14 the years to study, to manage, and to for support of continuing and new What is the Lake Whatcom TMDL? protect it. This partnership is essential to government programs, and changes in 16 individual actions, to protect the lake. the long-term health of the lake and we 18 Why is Bellingham treating stormwater? appreciate the dedication of our agency partners and the citizens they represent. This report is designed to help you Is Bloedel Donovan stormwater treated? understand the challenges we face as we 20 Yet the City of Bellingham has a special work together to preserve and enhance 22 Is it safe to eat the fish? Swim? responsibility to Lake Whatcom. Our city Lake Whatcom. has for decades hosted dense population 23 Resources, contacts, credits 24 What’s in a name? T O P R E S E R V E A N D ENHAN C E L A K E W HAT C OM How has Lake Whatcom changed? akes change slowly. that fail to meet water quality of dissolved oxygen. oxygen have become even spread past the intake pipe for standards. That listing, required more dramatic, and more Bellingham’s water supply in Only in the past under the federal Clean Water Phosphorus flows into the lake widespread. All four of the Basin 2, past Sudden Valley, decade or so has the Act, triggered a mandatory from sources including stream major algae groups have and all the way to the south quality of the water water quality improvement bank erosion; exposed soil from increased, but the most end of the lake. Lin Lake Whatcom started to plan. (For details, see pages construction, landscaping and striking increase has occurred change noticeably, in response 14-17.) logging; lawn fertilizers; leaves in cyanophyta, known as Lakes change slowly. We aren’t to more than a century of and grass clippings; pesticides; blue-green algae (although yet seeing the full effects of development on its shores. Lake Whatcom was listed pet and wildlife droppings; cyanophyta are actually the phosphorus we’re allowing because of low levels of failing septic systems; sewage bacteria). to flow into the lake today. The Washington State dissolved oxygen, which are the spills and leaking sewer pipes; The full effects of today’s Department of Ecology was result of an explosion of algae and phosphorus-based soaps, The changes started adjacent phosphorus loading — on concerned enough about algae growth. Phosphorus carried detergents and chemicals. to the most urbanized parts dissolved oxygen levels and growth in Lake Whatcom, into the lake by stormwater of Lake Whatcom, the algae growth — won’t be seen in 1998, to place the lake on runoff is the primary cause of Since 2004, the growth of Silver Beach and Geneva for years to come. the state list of water bodies the algal growth and low levels algae and the drop in dissolved neighborhoods, and have WatER QUalitY has DEclinED thrOUGHOUT thE laKE and is GEttinG WOrsE Summer Algae Density Bars show range of sample counts of cyanophyta (blue-green algae), per liter, May through October. Dots show medians (half of samples were higher, half lower). ������� Site������ 1 ������� ������� ������� ����������� Site 1 (Basin 1) ����������� Site 2 (Basin 2) ����������� Site 3 (Basin 3) ����������� Site 4 (Basin 3) ������Site 3 Site 2 ������ ��� ��� ��� ��� �������������� ��� ��� ��� ��� ������� ������ Site������� 4 �� �� �� �� �� �� �� �� ������� �� �� �� �� Median������ ������� �� �� �� �� Source: Dr. Robin Matthews, Institute for Watershed Studies, Western Washington University � � � � ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��������������������������� ��������������������������� ��������������������������� 4 C ITY oB f ELLINGHAM atthews M IN OB R Human behavior changes slowly, too, sometimes as slowly as lakes. What’s wrong It’s hard to change our habits with algae? — what we build, the sort of Decaying algae deplete yards we plant, how we get around town, how we care for oxygen supplies needed by our pets, how we clean our fish and other aquatic life. cars, what kind of boats we use. Algae also cause water to 100 micrometers taste and smell bad, and But Lake Whatcom is changing. can cause health problems. If we want to slow or halt the lake’s changes, we will have to quicken the pace of our own. what DO I need TO KNOW ABOUT alGae, DISSOLVed OXYGen and PHOSPHORUS? WatER QUalitY has DEclinED thrOUGHOUT thE laKE and is GEttinG WOrsE When too much even more algae growth, natural levels of growth. phosphorus is introduced accelerating the depletion Human activities are Dissolved Oxygen in July and August into a water body like Lake of oxygen in the lake. increasing phosphorus Whatcom, some plant levels in the lake. Scientists Dissolved oxygen, measured at Site 1 at a depth of species, such as algae, Low oxygen levels cause can’t tell us which 12 meters, in milligrams per liter of water. experience explosive sediments on the bottom of activities are loading the growth. Overgrowth of the lake to release mercury, most phosphorus into � algae can cloud water, which is then absorbed Lake Whatcom, but we blocking sunlight from by fish, and phosphorus, know sources include: � other plants and aquatic which stimulates the • Stream erosion. life, killing them or growth of even more algae. � limiting their growth. • Exposed soil from Phosphorus is a naturally construction, landscaping and logging. � ���� When algae die, they sink occurring nutrient, found in to the bottom of the lake water, soil and air. It helps • Lawn fertilizers. � and begin to decompose. stimulate plant growth • Leaves and grass clippings. ��������������������� Bacteria feed on the and is essential for animal • Pesticides. � decomposing algae and and plant life. You may consume oxygen in the recognize it as a common • Pet and wildlife droppings. water. The bacteria deplete ingredient in fertilizer. � • Failing septic systems. ������ the supply of dissolved • Sewage spills and oxygen needed by fish But there can be too leaking sewer pipes. � and plants. In addition, much of a good thing. ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� ��� dead algae create more Naturally balanced levels • Phosphorus-based soaps, nutrients that fertilize of phosphorus promote detergents and chemicals. Statistically significant trend lines S TEWARD S OF THE LAKE 5 Bellingham City Limits Is our drinking water safe, even though the pollution is getting worse? es. Bellingham has Bellingham’s drinking water is safe, but algae growth in great drinking water. Lake Whatcom is making our water less appealing and is requiring more expensive treatment to keep it safe. The drinking water the City of Taste and smell Agency — 80 parts per billion. YBellingham pipes to about Our drinking water usually tastes But late summer levels started 82,000 people far exceeds great; in fact, it has even won rising around 1998. The highest federal safety standards. Every awards for taste. Some customers detected sample — 49 parts per year, the City mails to every tell us the water tastes different in billion — was collected in 2004. water customer a Consumer warmer months. In late summer, ConfidenceR eport, as required when algae growth is at the Switching to a different by federal law. That report highest in Lake Whatcom, algae disinfectant is not the solution, must include Water Quality and tiny fungi can give off non- because alternatives to chlorine Monitoring Results, which toxic but smelly chemicals that may also create harmful is a table showing how the can cause unpleasant tastes and byproducts and can’t fully treated water that reaches odors in our drinking water.