Page Contact Information: Washington Water Data Maintainer The next question asked is, just how clean is the water they drink if there are no basic protective safeguards in place to keep people and pets out? 97% of travelers recommend this experience. The District is divided into five districts and is governed by a five member Board of Commissioners who set the policies and rates of the District. 38.8, Whilst sea temperatures for Bellingham are as accurate as current data allows, there may be slight local and regional variations depending on conditions. As required by the 303(d) listing, the Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) created a computer model to find the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) of phosphorus the lake can receive while maintaining adequate dissolved oxygen levels. It changes color depending on the sky and is so picturesque with the snowy mountains in the background. 59.2, format: '#C'}, 40.8, Generally, these are activities such as underground pipe installation and power pole installation and do not apply to residential development which requires a building permit. [3], As a drinking water source, Lake Whatcom Reservoir's quality is in compliance for all tested chemicals, bacteria and turbidity. Fishing is best in the spring before they move into deeper water to avoid warming water temperatures, but they can be targeted throughout the summer . Lake information. Located just east of Bellingham. If you have the time to spend 1-2 hours there, go for it! This combined with sediment oxidation, cause for near or complete anoxic conditions in the deeper levels of the lake. Good for the Resident, not so much for the Tourist. 927 AM EST Fri Jan 13 2023 The water temperature off Rochester is 39 degrees. 39.6, curveType: 'function', Winds are out of the undefined at undefinedmph, with wind gusts of undefinedmph. You will drive past Bloedel Donovan Park. It is the drinking water source for approximately 85,000 residents in the city of Bellingham as well as Whatcom County. 7.6, This phenomenon is important to the hydrology of the lake. At its greatest depth, Basin 3 is 328 feet (100m) deep, and is estimated to contain 96% of the lake's total water volume. Emergency fishing rule changes; . This was a fun break for the kids from the intense hiking days, we just hung out on the beach and swam in the water. Snow level near 4000 feet. legend: 'none', Drive over Alabama Hill to the Silver Beach area. As you drive toward the lake be sure to look at the view. Four primary factors influence the citys lake level management strategy. The simple answer is that our drinking water after treatment is in full compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act., meeting or exceeding all federal and state water quality standards. 49.3, Lake Whatcom 4.5 95 #13 of 71 things to do in Bellingham Bodies of Water Visit website Call Write a review What people are saying " Fun for the family " Aug 2022 This was a fun break for the kids from the intense hiking days, we just hung out on the beach and swam in the water. Windfinder specializes in wind, waves, tides and weather reports & forecasts for wind related sports like kitesurfing, windsurfing, surfing, sailing, fishing or paragliding. Aug. 2022. 1: { color: '#FFCC66', targetAxisIndex:0, lineWidth: 8 }, For the past 10 years the City of Bellingham Public Works has received the Partnership for Safe Waters Director Award for commitment to providing safe drinking water.[6]. 61.3, Its northern tip is located within the City of Bellingham, and it extends 10 miles south toward Skagit County. Bloedel donated 12.5 acres to the city for what would eventually become Bloedel Donovan Park. 60.4, There are separate places for swimming, and a boat ramp. The graph below shows the range of monthly Bellingham water temperature derived from many years of historical sea surface temperature data. The northwest end of the lake lies within the city of Bellingham and 22 small watersheds drain into the lake. Development permits which propose to exceed more than 500 square feet of exposed soil will not be issued during the 2 weeks prior to October 1 to allow for earthwork to be done and stabilized prior to October 1. 12.4, Invasive species of particular threat to Lake Whatcom include zebra mussel, New Zealand mud snail, Asian carp, and viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS). NOAA Fisheries, a federal agency, has listed Puget Sound Chinook on the Endangered Species Act list as a Threatened Species. Stop occasionally to enjoy the views. To summarize, people have been utilizing the Lake Whatcom watershed since the mid-1800s (Peterson, 2008). National Water Information System: Web Interface. Registration Information Registration runs right up until race day, July 13th, 2019, or until the race sells out. There are 1,811 existing vacant lots with improvement values of greater than $10,000 and an estimated 8,688 total units with build-out potential. Figure 3. This is the wind, wave and weather forecast for Alabama Hill / Lake Whatcom in Washington, United States of America. 11-10-019 Publication and Contact Information This report is available on the Department of Ecology's website at Winter is the most difficult season to catch Pumpkinseed, but persistent anglers can find nice-sized schools offshore. Trails close by as well. Alternate names for BellinghamBLI, Bellingham. In the 1850s came the first known settlement of Westerners on Lake Whatcom. Please dial (360) 734-9224 var data = google.visualization.arrayToDataTable([ 1-Day 3-Day 5-Day. Whatcom, Squalicum, and Padden Creeks Temperature Total Maximum Daily Load Whatcom, Squalicum, and Padden Creeks Temperature Total Maximum Daily Load Water Quality Improvement Report June 2011 Publication No. Current ocean temperature in Puget Sound. RACE INFO. Today's Details. Shoreline access: Good Note: WCC 20.51.420(1) contains a complete list of activities that are exempt from the stormwater facility requirement. ['March', The maximum surface elevation of the lake was set by a court order in the 1960s. The measurements for the water temperature in Bellingham, Washington are provided by the daily satellite readings provided by the NOAA. 65.1, The total area of the Lake Whatcom Watershed is 142 square kilometers (55sqmi). If you have the time to spend 1-2 hours there, go for it! Surface water temperatures were warmer than historic values throughout the lake with July and November temperatures significantly higher than the highest ever measured in the 1988 through 2014 record. Much better to go down Chuckanut south of Bellingham as there are several pullouts for parking and viewing of the Sound and islands. It's a safe solo hike, but also great for families and small groups. The lake holds around 250 billion gallons of water which it receives from 36 different tributaries. Snow accumulation of 2 to 7 Inches. Lake Whatcom, our community's primary drinking water source, is already showing the effects of climate change as evidenced by increasingly common summer temperature extremes. Lake Washington water temperature by month F C Lake Washington water temperature by month The highest water temperature will be reached in August with around 69.1F / 20.6C. With a high around 71F and the low around 37F. Winter is the hardest time because fish are offshore and slow moving. Lists of, maps for, and information https://waterdata.usgs.gov/wa/nwis/current? Lake information. Predictions of future lake temperatures are important because increased temperatures lead to longer stratification times . Am I in the District? We make coffee with it, prepare food, brush our teeth, take a shower, wash dishes, flush toilets and go about our daily business. The water will feel cold. Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information. 66.7, 18.4, Great fishing for Kokanee, Bass and Perch. This position assists in the maintenance and operation of the Districts water treatment, storage and distribution systems, and the [], Notice of Quorum: Brent Winters Retirement Luncheon November 21, 2022 12:00 p.m. Notice is hereby given that a quorum of the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer Districts Board of Commissioners [], District is one of four utilities in Washington State receiving award for the Washington State Department of Healths Treatment Optimization Program The Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District (District) was [], (360) 734-9224 general.inbox@lwwsd.org 1220 Lakeway Drive Bellingham, WA 98229, 2022 Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District. Since warm water is less dense that colder water, it stays on top of the lake surface. I have also heard questions about the potability of the water. Very crowded with families. Figure 2. Other activities you can involve yourself in while there include, driving on the Floating Bridge, the longest in the world, over Lake Washington, sail on the lake in a rental boat or cruise in a speedboat and watch salmon swim upstream at the Fish Ladder. Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Beautiful ocean views! All but the most ardent watersports enthusiasts will be thinking of packing up for the winter. Baker to the North. ['February', Full Dispersion per BMP T5.30 of the 2012 DOE Manual (Volume V, Chapter 5, pages 5-30 through 5-38). From the 1800's. Lake Whatcom was not the main drinking-water reservoir until the mid-20th century - the City originally used Lake Padden as the drinking-water source. Turn around and follow the road all the way around the lake. Because Dispersion relies on surrounding vegetation to treat stormwater, a Protected Native Growth Area document must be filed with the Whatcom County Auditor's Office to protect the forest or native area prior to building permit issuance. ['September', At the Mt Baker Hwy turn left to return toward Bellingham. Trends in dissolved oxygen over time in Basin 1 at 14 meters (~46 feet) sampled in July and August from 1988 through 2016 (Matthews et al., 2017). The first question they ask is how could the city of subdued excitement, with a reputation for being environmentally conscientious, allow people and pets to recreate in and live around their drinking water source? On parcels within the Lake Whatcom watershed, clearing activities which expose more than 500 square feet of soil are not permitted from October 1 through May 31 per WCC 20.51.410: Development permits may be submitted at any time during the year. There may be a slight uptick in some waters in the fall as adults return to shallower water and move near shore towards spawning tributaries. The downside of relying on treatment processes to clean up source water is that one or more of the steps in the treatment process may become compromised or fail, potentially resulting in thousands of people getting sick before the problem is found. 5.2, It is approximately 10 miles (16 km) in length and 1 mile (1.6 km) in width at its widest. There are approximately 15,000 people living in the Lake Whatcom watershed, with a majority of them living around the northernmost Basin 1 and further west and south around Basin 3 in the Sudden Valley resort community. 63.3, The trail rises through a series of switchbacks, road crossings and short bridges. A 20102014 management program work plan for Lake Whatcom was approved by the councils of the City of Bellingham, Whatcom County, and Lake Whatcom Water & Sewer District (formerly Water District 10. 10], Studying water temperature The temperature on the day we were sampling was 17 to 20C (62 - 68F). The City is a serene evergreen environment, surrounded by Cascade Mountains to the east, Olympic Mountains to the west, Mount Rainier to the South and Mt. courtesy photo: City of Bellingham. The lake could get down to about 308 feet before the intake for the city's water treatment facility at Whatcom Falls Park might see changes in water flow, Johnston said, but Whatcom Creek could . Catch improves in Fall as waters cool, vegetation begins to die back, and prey becomes more available. This is a big lake that is popular with the people. Successful fishing for Yellow Perch in the winter involves either targeting schools in deep water from boats or through the ice. These steps produce high quality drinking water that is in full compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act standards. 53.8, Lake Whatcom (from the Lummi word for "loud water") is located in Whatcom County, Washington, United States. July is the month with the lowest precipitation of 0in / 0mm and December with the maximum precipitation in a year with 2.4in / 60.3mm. There are no upcoming meetings, please check back soon. The Districts service area includes Geneva, Sudden Valley and the North Shore of Lake Whatcom. 21.7, . Lake Whatcom is home to 13 species of fish. Among these are six native species: kokanee salmon (non-anadromous form of Sockeye), coastal cutthroat trout, longnose sucker, peamouth chub, sculpin and three-spined stickleback. Annual water quality monitoring funded by the city of Bellingham and conducted by Dr. Robin Matthews and her research team at Western Washington University have provided data clearly showing the decline in several water quality parameters over the last 30 years. The Lake Whatcom Navigation App provides advanced features of a Marine Chartplotter including adjusting water level offset and custom depth shading. Lake Whatcom is the drinking-water source for nearly 100,000 county residents. Fishing is best in the summer after they finish spawning in April-May. Log 10 plots of median summer near-surface Cyanobacteria counts (1994 2016), June through October, all sites and depths (Matthews et al., 2017). Please note, the tide times given are not suitable for navigational purposes. USGS Current Conditions for Washington_ Lakes and reservoirs Current Conditions for Washington: Lakes and reservoirs -- 27 site (s) found PROVISIONAL DATA SUBJECT TO REVISION Lists of, maps for, and information about real-time data are available with the "Predefined Displays". All of these tributaries and the area surrounding them make up the 36,000-acre Lake Whatcom watershed. As the water source for a city fast approaching 100,000, the lake extends from the eastern edge of Bellingham, which sits on the Salish Sea, and extends 12 miles into the Cascade foothills. Return and drive toward Hwy 9. 8.4, [4][5] Bellingham is a participant in the Partnership for Safe Water, and the Citys drinking water also meets the higher standards set by this group. Good place to take family swimming, nice park. Perhaps the eastern shore has some places. In some lakes, this can result in fish kills and cause health officials to issue advisories to those who draw their water directly from those lakes. Despite lake water quality challenges, the City is committed to supplying some of the safest drinking water in the country. WaterTemperature.net All Rights Reserved. In summer, the top of the lake becomes warmer than the lower layers. A water quality model of Lake Whatcom, Washington (see Figure 1 and Figure 2) was developed as part of a Total Maximum Daily Load Study for the Washington Department of Ecology. The road eventually turns to the right toward Hwy 9. The top layer of water (epilimnion) is warmed by the sun and sits atop the metalimnion (also a thermocline). Lake Whatcom Water Quality While the City of Bellingham produces some of the cleanest drinking water in the nation, the water quality of Lake Whatcom has started to decrease in recent decades due to a number of water quality challenges. Calibration focused on model predictions of hydrodynamics (flow and water level), temperature, and water quality. These activities expanded and increased into the 1900s with the population of workers living in the watershed also increasing. Another important hydrological phenomenon on Lake Whatcom is the occurrence of seiches. Lake Whatcom watershed and sub-basins (Matthews et al., 2017). ['December', Hope this helps. We really enjoy walking/biking the Interurban Trail from downtown Bellingham to Boulevard Park and along the water to Fairhaven. Temperatures in Basins 1 and 2 were relatively warm, but within historic ranges. ['April', In 2008 the DOE estimated that in order to achieve acceptable levels of DO, impervious/run off surfaces need to be returned to pre-1988 levels. When people are informed of where their drinking water comes from, most are shocked and then outraged. 3.8], The City works closely with the Western Washington University Institute for Watershed Studies (IWS) to monitor water quality trends in Lake Whatcom. 59.5, The following are the results of some water quality parameters: Dissolved Oxygen vs. 1.7 1.59 vaww02. 3.8], In summer, watercraft of all shapes and sizes litter the surface of the lake as people enjoy its recreational benefits. 16.3], Chlorophyll (Chl) concentrations increased in all three basins. The meetings are usually held on the second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. and the last Wednesday of the month at 8:00 a.m. at the District office . The avg. Fly into the Seattle Tacoma International airport and get to and around the City by train, bus or van shuttles as well as taxis and rental cars. Drive through the Geneva area, past Sudden Valley and keep going. 10.2, Monofilament recovery and recycling program. Atypical depletion of dissolved oxygen in the cooler bottom (hypolimnetic) water layers of Basins 1, 2 and the northern portion of Basin 3 occurred again during the summer of 2016, but were not as extreme as in 2015 (see Figure 1). 9.6], Fishing resources. Turn left for Acme and the Mt Baker Hwy. Fishing is best in the spring and summer, peaking during the spawn in June. about real-time data are available with the "Predefined Please refer to the code or speak to a watershed staff member for further information. Fishing may pick up in early Fall, followed by a decrease in action as waters cool. Rainfall Amounts a half inch to one inch possible. Manthey's Country Mobile Home Park, Whatcom County, Washington, United States - The ideal weather forecast for the next 14 days. The effects on Lake Whatcom were clearly reflected in . When the weather is warm, take a picnic with you and find a spot - Bloedel or North Lake Whatcom Trail, or anywhere that is public property, and enjoy! The second part of the availability equation is the timing and amount of water available from the Middle Fork diversion. Land use is primarily residential, with a mix of lake protection program properties and some rural forestry. " Stopped by for a picnic in the park ". }, 71.1, Lake Whatcom's current water temperature is 36F Todays forecast is, Mostly cloudy throughout the day. Instead, turn left to go to the dead end. . Elevated levels of mercury have been found in fish and sediment sampled from the lake. Based on the 2014 Lake Whatcom Watershed Annual Build-Out Report there are currently 6,877 dwelling units in the Whatcom County watershed with appropriate assessor's residential land use codes, and improvement values of greater than 10,000 dollars. Meetings, please check back soon lake whatcom water temperature in the background Skagit County listed! Water from boats or through the Geneva area, past Sudden Valley and keep going Predefined please refer to right... 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But also great for families and small groups series of switchbacks, road crossings and short bridges a! Bass and Perch extends 10 miles south toward Skagit County some rural.... Found in fish and sediment sampled from the lake as people enjoy Its benefits! Decrease in action as waters cool, vegetation begins to die back, and prey becomes more.! 59.5, the city of Bellingham, Washington are provided by the.... Drive toward the lake lies within the city of Bellingham, and it extends 10 south! Washington are provided by the noaa be thinking of packing up for the.... 3-Day 5-Day northwest end of the lake be sure to look at the Baker... For nearly 100,000 County residents cause for near or complete anoxic conditions in the 1850s the. Located within the city of Bellingham, Washington are provided by the daily satellite provided!