Lake Whatcom Management
Note: The Geneva Stormwater Projects page is now hosted on this web site.
Lake Whatcom is a large multipurpose
lake located in the southwestern portion of Whatcom
County. The lake is the source of drinking water for the
City of Bellingham,
Lake Whatcom Water
& Sewer District (formerly Whatcom County Water District
No. 10) customers, and about 250 residents that draw water
directly from the lake. Approximately 85,700 people, over
half the county population, rely on Lake Whatcom as a drinking
water source. The lake may become an increasingly important
source of water to other areas of the county given the current
legal, environmental, economic, and political impediments.
In addition to providing drinking water, the lake is used for
boating, swimming, fishing and other activities. About 80% of the
watershed is comprised of forestlands, largely surrounding
sub-basin 3. There are approximately 5,000 homes currently in the
watershed. High-density development and development potential
exists around sub-basins 1 and 2. The major residential
development around sub-basin 3 is Sudden Valley, a private
community that has about 1,700 homes with the potential for more.
The Lake
Whatcom Management Program is a joint effort of the City
of Bellingham,  Whatcom County, and Lake Whatcom
Water & Sewer District to protect and preserve Lake
Whatcom as a long-term source of drinking water. In 1992,
the elected bodies of the 3 jurisdictions adopted a set of
6 general and 21 specific goals, setting into motion the Lake
Whatcom Management Program. In 1998, an interlocal agreement
was adopted by the 3 jurisdictions which formalized the joint
management program and provided a stable funding source.
As a part of this interlocal agreement, the County contributes
a minimum of $175,000 annually to the Joint Lake Whatcom Management
Program.
In 2000, a five-year work plan was adopted that described a number
of tasks to be pursued under ten program areas. These program
areas include watershed ownership, urbanization/ land development,
stormwater management, community outreach, data and information
management, spill response and hazardous materials,
forestry/fish/wildlife, transportation, recreation, and utilities
and waste management. The management program is placing the highest
priority on improving and protecting water quality through
stormwater management, land use and urbanization policies, and
public ownership of land in the watershed. Emphasis has been
placed on short and long-term public health related actions that
reduce inputs from nutrients, fecal coliform, and other
contaminants. To effectively address each of these water quality
concerns, actions are identified that integrate education research
and monitoring, technical assistance, and regulations and
enforcement. This multi-pronged approach provides the essential
framework for dealing with not only these water quality concerns,
but also other management issues in the watershed.
The Whatcom County
Public Works Stormwater Division acts as the County's coordinating
division for tasks identified through the Joint Lake Whatcom
Management Program. Stormwater staff act as the County's
representative for the Joint Program's Interjurisdictional
Coordinating Team (ICT). The ICT meets biweekly to coordinate
watershed management activities between the jurisdictions.
The Stormwater Division works both with staff from other county
departments as well as other local groups and efforts to accomplish
tasks described through the Joint Management Program.
A few examples of the projects that have been completed include jointly
adopted land preservation criteria for identifying high priority
lands; extensive tributary water quality monitoring for pollutant
loading and lake response models; investigation of the Y-Road
landfill; investigation of mercury levels in Lake Whatcom fish
and sediments; higher development standards for construction within
the watershed; enactment of a compliance/education staff focusing
specifically on the Lake Whatcom watershed; development of lake-friendly
gardening, boating, riparian buffer, and pet waste management
educational programs; and installation of a long-term storage
container for spill response equipment at Bloedel Donovan.
Additional information is available at the joint management program's
Lake Whatcom web
site.
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