National Water Information System: Web Interface. 9.6], 4, 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. The maximum surface elevation of the lake was set by a court order in the 1960s. 43.9, If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. In the 1850s came the first known settlement of Westerners on Lake Whatcom. At its greatest depth, Basin 3 is 328 feet (100m) deep, and is estimated to contain 96% of the lake's total water volume. Is the Water Safe to Drink? Go back. 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. Elevation: 312 ft. Center: 48.740296, -122.346516 Open in Google Maps View larger map Powered by Esri Fishing resources Emergency fishing rule changes Sportfishing rules pamphlet Fish stocking reports Fish Washington mobile app Buy a fishing license Discover Pass Catchable fish plants 8.4, The more degraded the lake water, however, the more treatment is needed to clean it to levels safe for drinking. Customize table to display other current-condition parameters, HOWARD A HANSON RESERVOIR NEAR PALMER, WA, CEDAR LAKE (MASONRY POOL) NEAR CEDAR FALLS, WA, SOUTH FORK TOLT RESERVOIR NEAR CARNATION, WA, BAKER LAKE AT UPPER BAKER DAM NEAR CONCRETE, WA, FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT LAKE AT GRAND COULEE DAM, WA, LAKE CHELAN AT PURPLE POINT AT STEHEKIN, WA, SWIFT RESERVOIR 3.2 MI EAST OF DAM NEAR COUGAR, WA. July 2016 temperature (on left) and dissolved oxygen (on right) profiles with depth compared to 1988 through 2014 minimum/maximum ranges (shaded areas). Page Contact Information: Washington Water Data Maintainer 57.2, 57, This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Stop occasionally to enjoy the views. 50.4, Whatcom Boat Inspection Hotline (360) 778-7975 City of Bellingham - Public Works Teagan Ward, Aquatic Invasive Species Coordinator teward@cob.org Whatcom County Noxious Weed Board Laurel Baldwin, Whatcom County Noxious Weed Board Coordinator LBaldwin@co.whatcom.wa.us Send us comments or feedback on the watercraft inspection program. 15.3, 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. You will drive past Bloedel Donovan Park. When people are informed of where their drinking water comes from, most are shocked and then outraged. Local politics and human behavior also played contributing roles. The northwest end of the lake lies within the city of Bellingham and 22 small watersheds drain into the lake. The quality of Lake Whatcom water, however, does not and has been listed as an impaired water body under section 303(d) of the Clean Water Act. County: Whatcom Acreage: 4755.30 ac. 61.7, Together these four operating constraints present a complex set of management options that are considered and incorporated into the strategy for managing the Lake Whatcom Reservoir. curveType: 'function', Fishing improves throughout the spring as waters warm and fish move onshore, peaking during the spawn. View larger map. . Winds are out of the N at 5mph, with wind gusts of 9mph. 39.6, Rainfall Amounts a half inch to one inch possible. In this middle layer water temperatures take a pronounced decline and eventually a distinct third layer forms (hypolimnion), much colder and isolated from the rest of the water body. Picture Copyright: Flickr CC 2.0 ChrisYunker. Min temperature will be -7c / 19f on Fri 10. 45.7, about Lake Whatcom because the lake is the drinking water supply for the COB and some residents that live near the lake. The following are some of the more important water quality indicators reported in the 2014/2015 Lake Whatcom Monitoring Program Annual Report: I. 38.8, Eurasian water milfoil is the only species on Washington's list of 50 unwanted species (13 of which are freshwater) that is known to exist in Lake Whatcom. It is the drinking water source for approximately 85,000 residents in the city of Bellingham as well as Whatcom County. https://waterdata.usgs.gov/wa/nwis/current? If wet weather results in turf damage, off leash dogs will only be allowed south of the parking lot, at the discretion of the Director of the Parks & Recreation Department. Air Temperature undefinedF High: undefinedF Low: undefinedF Wind MPH Turn left and follow Lake Whatcom Blvd along the lake to the dead end. A design by a licensed civil engineer which meets at least one of the following criteria: The design limits the estimated phosphorous loading from stormwater generated by the project to be less than 0.1875 pounds of Phosphorous / acre / year. Figure 2. Sun 8 Jan Mon 9 Jan Tue 10 Jan Wed 11 Jan Thu 12 Jan Fri 13 Jan Sat 14 Jan. 60 F 40 F 20 F. Summer is a slight lull though dawn/dusk hours can be very good. Turn around and follow the road all the way around the lake. Some brown trout. The earliest known settlement was a Northwest Coast Salish village at the south end of the lake, occupied by the Saquantch tribe. This is a wonderful hike through a temperate rainforest which culminates in a beautiful view. 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. When the lake reaches the court-set maximum surface elevation, the city must open the gates on the control dam and spill as much water as possible to avoid flooding lakeside properties. weather preparedness ; Whatcom County Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan ; SECTION 3. Invasive species of particular threat to Lake Whatcom include zebra mussel, New Zealand mud snail, Asian carp, and viral hemorrhagic septicemia (VHS). Catch improves in Fall as waters cool, vegetation begins to die back, and prey becomes more available. 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! Fishing is best in the spring and summer, peaking during the spawn in June. 1. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife also maintains a boat launch. ['November', Winds are out of the N at 3mph, with wind gusts of 9mph. Please contact the Water Quality Specialists at the CitysLab at (360) 778-7870 for more information. undefined's current water temperature is undefinedF Todays forecast is, undefined With a high around undefinedF and the low around undefinedF. RACE INFO. The warmest water temperature are in August with around 69.1F / 20.6C. Very crowded with families. People tend to leave their poop bags on the trail and that sort of defeats the purpose, don't you think?!! Note: WCC 20.51.420(1) contains a complete list of activities that are exempt from the stormwater facility requirement. December is the coolest with 39F / 3.9C average temperature. Up to 5,000 square feet or 35% of the existing tree canopy area, whichever is greater, may be cleared for a building site, driveway, parking and landscaping. 18.4, } 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. I gets a tad windy out there so if you want to kayak on it, look at the forecast. Lake information. This is the wind, wave and weather forecast for Alabama Hill / Lake Whatcom in Washington, United States of America. A control dam at the head of Whatcom Creek, (the only stream flowing out of the Lake Whatcom Reservoir), provides a mechanism for managing the surface level of the lake and therefore the amount of water stored in the lake. Utility bills are for water and sewer services received in the previous two months and are mailed out bi-monthly. format: '#F'}, ', 'AVG', 'Min.' 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? If you have the time to spend 1-2 hours there, go for it! The warmest water temperature is in August with an average around 52.5F / 11.4C. ['December', Elevation: 274 ft. Center: 48.665125, -122.385318 Open in Google Maps. Lake Whatcom is 20 sq-km lake located in northwestern Washington at 48.7o N latitude.The morphology of the lake, including its elongate nature and depth, is defined by the lake's glacial origin in a deep bedrock basin. 14], This is a big lake that is popular with the people. Baker. 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. 6.1], Data in the 2015/2016 Lake Whatcom Monitoring Program Annual Report by Matthews et al. Figure 3. Boat rentals add to the enjoyment of this lake. }; Although this varies from year to year the daily drinking water consumption for the past 35 years has stayed at about 10 million gallons a day. This is a big lake that is popular with the people. Current ocean temperature in Puget Sound. 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. This layering of the lake, as well as the distinct physical barriers (sills) between basins cause for slow movement of water through the lake. In summer, the top of the lake becomes warmer than the lower layers. 3: { color: '#FF6347', targetAxisIndex:1, lineWidth: 0 }, Our state water quality criteria is 16C. URL: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/wa/nwis/current?site_tp_cd=LK&PARAmeter_cd=STATION_NM,62614,62615,00065,00062,DATETIME We make coffee with it, prepare food, brush our teeth, take a shower, wash dishes, flush toilets and go about our daily business. Temperatures in Basins 1 and 2 were relatively warm, but within historic ranges. 49.3, [2] The city manages the outflow to control the maximum level, to store the inflow, to provide for drinking water demand, and to keep the flow in the creek adequate for the threatened Chinook salmon. Beautiful ocean views! The lake has only one island, the 3-acre (12,000m2) Reveille Island, owned by Camp Firwood, which is believed to be the site of past ceremonies by Native Americans, due to the presence of pictographs and a zoomorphic stone bowl found on the island. It's the drinking water source for approximately 85,000 residents in Bellingham, as well as Whatcom County. 18.7, Emergency fishing rule changes; . This phenomenon is important to the hydrology of the lake. The water will feel cold. Few, however, would guess that it comes from Lake Whatcom just a few miles east of downtown Bellingham. In 1998, the Washington Department of Ecology (ECY) placed Lake Whatcom on Washingtons 303(d) list for polluted water bodies because it failed to meet state water quality standards for dissolved oxygen and phosphorus. These efforts have helped to reduce the rate of deterioration. June, July, August, September would be the best time to visit. Please dial (360) 734-9224 The lake is a popular area for motor boating, swimming, fishing, and other recreational activities. These anoxic conditions cause the water to become acidic and any metals that had precipitated out of the water column and into sediments are dissolved and released back into the overlying water. At Hwy 9, turn right for Skagit County. 65.7, The coldest in January with an average water temperature of 39F / 3.9C. Lake Whatcom's current water temperature is 39 F. Today's forecast is: Rain throughout the day., with a high around 45 F and a low around 36 F. Winds are out of the SSW at 11 mph with gusts of 46 mph . 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