Lake Whatcom

Infobox lake
lake_name = Lake Whatcom
image_lake = Lake Whatcom Basin1.jpg
caption_lake =
image_bathymetry =
caption_bathymetry =
location = Whatcom County, Washington
coords = coord|48|43|59|N|122|19|41|W|region:US-WA_type:waterbody|display=inline,title
type =
inflow =
outflow = Whatcom Creek
catchment = 145 km²
basin_countries = United States
length = convert|14|mi|km
width =
area =
depth =
max-depth = 350 feet (107 m)
volume =
residence_time =
shore =
elevation = 314 feet (96 m)
islands = 1 (Reveille Island)
cities =

Lake Whatcom (from the Lummi word for "loud water") is a lake located near Bellingham, Washington, United States, forming part of the city's eastern border, and is about 14 miles (23 km) long. Over 85,000 Whatcom County residents rely on Lake Whatcom for drinking water. Lake Whatcom is also a popular recreational site, used for boating, swimming, fishing, and other activities. Lake Whatcom has two principal water sources - natural rainfall within its catchment basins and flow diverted from the Middle Fork of the Nooksack River, through a tunnel constructed in the 1960's, mainly to serve industry. The City of Bellingham owns this diversion and regulates the flow. Lake Whatcom empties into Bellingham Bay by way of Whatcom Creek.

Bathymetry

The lake is divided into three basins. Basin 1, the Silver Beach Basin is the furthest north, and has a maximum depth of convert|100|ft|m|0. It is surrounded by housing through the entire basin, and includes the most popular of swimming areas in Bellingham, Bloedel-Donovan Park. Basin 2, the Geneva Basin is the central basin where the drinking water for the city of Bellingham is removed. This basin is the shallowest, with a maximum depth of just 40–60 feet (12–18 m). Basin 3 is the furthest southern basin, and is the most remote. At its greatest depth basin 3 is convert|328|ft|m|0 deep, and is estimated to contain 96% of the lake's total water volume. [Moore, p.4] Large scale logging operations occur around this basin.

The lake has only one island, the convert|3|acre|m2|-3|sing=on 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.

Pre–white settlements

Prior to the arrival of white settlers, areas around Lake Whatcom were used by several tribes, including the Stick Samish, Nooksack, and Saquantch, before they were pushed out by Lummi around 1800. In particular, the Nooksack had a village at the southern end of the lake called Kaw-tchaa-ha-muk. [Moore, p.7-8]

Pollution

Lake Whatcom is the center of a large debate occurring in Whatcom County, in regard to drinking water quality, homeowners' rights, and environmental protection. The lake is contaminated with PCBs, mercury, and dieldrin. Also, large scale additions of nutrients, notably phosphorus, have altered the water chemistry of the lake, causing concern about its overall health. [www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0210070.pdf] In 2008, the State issued a TMDL study and report, which set limits for allowable phosphorus inflow. Local jurisdictions have a determined time-frame to return the lake water to the condition known in a previous year.

Notes

References

*Moore, F. Stanley, "An Historical Geography of the Settlement Around Lake Whatcom Prior to 1920". Institute for Freshwater Studies, Bellingham, Washington, 1973.

External links

* [http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/publicworks/water/lakewhatcom.jsp County Public Works Site on Lake Whatcom Management]
* [http://www.lakewhatcom.wsu.edu/index.html WSU Cooperative Management on Lake Whatcom]
* [http://lakewhatcom.org/ Citizen site on Protection of Lake Whatcom]
* [http://content.lib.washington.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/wastate&CISOPTR=790&CISOBOX=1&REC=20 Dock at Lake Whatcom, c.1892, U.Wash Digital Collections]