Lake Whatcom Joint Councils and Commission to meet March 23

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Lake Whatcom 2021 Progress Report

March 23, 2022 Joint Councils and Commission Meeting Presentation

Lake Whatcom joint councils and commissioners to meet March 23

Officials to hear about condition of the lake and ongoing efforts to improve it

by Mark Gardner, Legislative Analyst

The Lake Whatcom Management Program will host its annual Lake Whatcom Joint Councils and Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held remotely. Members of the Bellingham City Council, Whatcom County Council, and the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District Board of Commissioners will be in attendance. The meeting will be open to the public and aired on BTV.

Lake Whatcom is a vital resource, providing drinking water, recreation and wildlife habitat to our community. The Lake Whatcom Management Program was formed in 1998 by the City of Bellingham, Whatcom County, and the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District to coordinate programs and projects that restore, protect and preserve Lake Whatcom and its surrounding watershed.

“Protecting Lake Whatcom is a top priority for our community. We must continue to work together to preserve our natural resources for many generations to come,” said County Councilmember Kaylee Galloway, chair of the Whatcom County Natural Resources Committee. Michael Lilliquist, chair of the Bellingham City Council Public Works and Natural Resources Committee, added that, “we are building on a firm foundation of progress, and I will be looking for ways to keep the momentum going.”

Program staff will provide updates on significant 2021 accomplishments and plans for 2022. Topics to be discussed at this meeting include:

· Lake Whatcom water quality: WWU Institute for Watershed Studies Lake Whatcom Water Monitoring Program Annual Report

· Progress on meeting phosphorus reduction goals

· Updates on significant city and county stormwater treatment projects

Additional meeting resources including the Lake Whatcom Management Program 2020-2024 Work Plan, the 2021 Lake Whatcom Management Program Progress Report, the Lake Whatcom Monitoring Project 2020/2021 Report and other documents can be found at: https://www.lakewhatcom.whatcomcounty.org/news.

The meeting agenda and other information will be available five days prior to the meeting at www.cob.org/meetings.

You can submit your comments in writing to the three decision-making bodies in a single email addressed to: ccmail@cob.org; council@co.whatcom.wa.us; general.inbox@lwwsd.org.