Caring for the Lake Whatcom Reservoir: A Broad, Long View

Marian Beddill, a retired CE, worked on water projects for most of her professional career. In Bellingham 20 years, she has been active in issues such as LakeWhatcom.org.

A few key happenings about our drinking water source over the last half century, and what still needs to be done.

History of Our Drinking Water Source

Lake Padden was Bellingham’s drinking water source until 1968. The lake’s water volume was insufficient to support future growth, so another water supply source was needed. Of the three possible surface-water options (Lake Samish, Lake Whatcom, and the Nooksack River), the easy choice was Lake Whatcom because of proximity, flow direction, and infrastructure, although the Lake was already an industrial traffic route, with coal mining and logging at the top (south end of the “upside-down” lake), and an industrial lumber plant (Bloedel-Donovan) near the outflow to “Noisy-Waters” Creek.

When Bellingham citizens started drinking Lake Whatcom water, the lake and watershed already had notable industrial and residential development, both along its shores and in the hillsides whose rainfall-runoff flow fill the lake. There are no mountain creeks which come naturally from the Cascades to the lake; only the closed bowl within which the lake sits feeds it. (This natural supply has been supplemented with water diverted from the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River to feed the now-closed G-P mill on the waterfront. This supplemental flow is now essentially stopped.)

A somewhat longer history overview is online at this website: http://lakewhatcom.org/history.shtml . There are records from that time demonstrating major concerns with pollution of the lake -- with one distinctive example: Dr. Charles J. “Jerry” Flora, a Professor at WWU, raised questions about pollution, and initiated some studies of the water quality and water circulation.

In 1991 and 1992, the three governmental agencies with primary coverage and impact on the lake (“Reservoir”) and the lands around it worked together to develop long-term goals for the health of the watershed. They finally settled on a list of 21 goal statements which are of significance to the long-term protection of the water quality in the Reservoir. Each jurisdiction (Whatcom County, City of Bellingham, and the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District (then known as WD 10)) passed a resolution defining these 21 goals for the Lake Whatcom Reservoir. See the website: http://lakewhatcom.org/goals21.html for a complete list of the jointly agreed goals.

The joint resolution contained this summary statement: “now, therefore, be it resolved by the city of Bellingham, Whatcom County and Water District 10 that the following general goal statements are hereby adopted, as well as the specific goal statements which are attached hereto:

General Goal Statements

To recognize Lake Whatcom and its watershed as the major drinking-water reservoir for the County and develop public and private management principles for the lake and watershed consistent with a drinking water reservoir environment. Affirm this goal by establishing the name: Lake Whatcom Reservoir.

To protect, preserve and enhance water quality and manage water quantity to ensure long-term sustainable supplies for a variety of uses, with priority placed on domestic water supply. Management programs and actions will be made in recognition of existing contractual agreements and potential for review and renegotiation in light of these goals.

To prioritize protection over treatment in managing Lake Whatcom and its watersheds management actions shall reflect a long term view of replacement or treatment costs.

To manage water quantity to sustain long-term efficient use of the water for beneficial uses within the county that are consistent with a drinking-water reservoir, and recognize the integral link with the Nooksack River and associated water resource concerns.

To ensure that opportunities for public comment and participation are provided in policy and management program development, and to promote public awareness and responsible individual actions.

To promote learning, research, and information opportunities which better our understanding of the watershed system, the impacts of activities, and the benefits and potentials of policies implemented.”

Those 21 specific goals were grouped under a number of categories, which were:

• Public Involvement and Education: (Goal #1)

• Watershed Ownership: (Goal #2)

• Information/Data Management: (Goal #3)

• Forest Practices (Goal #4)

• Hazardous Materials (Goals #5 and 6)

• Nutrient Loading and Other Potential Threats: (Goal #7)

• Recreation: (Goal #8)

• Solid Waste: (Goal #9)

• Spill Response: (Goal #10)

• Stormwater: (Goal #11)

• Transportation: (Goal #12)

• Urbanization/Development: (Goal #13)

• Wastewater Systems (Sewer and On-Site Waste Systems): (Goals #14, 15, 16)

• Conservation (Goal #17)

• Diversion Operation for Reservoir Management (Goal #18)

• Recharge (Goal #19)

• Distribution/Availability within the County (Goal #20)

• Fish and Wildlife (Goal #21)

AIS — A new problem, needing a new goal: Recently a new problem has come to light: the occurrence of new “AIS” — Aquatic Invasive Species — being found in Lake Whatcom. Clams, mussels, and similar non-native aquatic species pose a high risk for the water quality in great part because they have no natural predators here. That means they will propagate and grow rapidly, thus quickly impacting the environment around them, including our drinking water treatment plant. They impinge on the phosphorus loading, mess with the oxygen balance and cause the growth of algae, and both the creatures and the algae will clog intake screens and otherwise interfere with the water treatment plant.

These creatures may be introduced accidentally in a number of ways. Most prominent and likely, is by watercraft which have come from infected waters elsewhere, and then been launched into Lake Whatcom, untreated. These animals attach themselves to the hulls and other parts of watercraft, then drop off into the water. As best we know, this happens with any kind of craft — from seaplanes to paddle-boards.

What to Do About These AIS? Should We Call This Goal #22?

One relatively simple action is cleaning all craft that have been elsewhere, before they touch the waters of the lake (in fact, before going to any and all of the lakes and ponds!) Descriptions of specific techniques are being prepared and will be widely distributed by groups and agencies who are involved. One technique, however, is so clearly beneficial that it takes little study: wash down all watercraft, etc, before they go into the water. A carwash might serve for many types of boats on trailers. A high-pressure power-spray (done on lands away from the lake) also is good. Any critters that are thus dislodged must be killed and disposed of properly. Details will be forthcoming from the agencies and organizations — this article is simply a pre-alert that detailed guidelines are on the way.