Posted: November 17, 2009 10:54:50 AM PST
The Lake Whatcom Management Program will host a community conversation Nov. 18 to continue public engagement in the education portion of the Silver Beach Creek Pilot Project. The conversation is scheduled 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Silver Beach Elementary School, 4101 Academy St.
This event will provide an opportunity for Silver Beach Creek residents to help develop a community partnership that will provide outreach and residential support for the project.
"Residents responding to our survey last spring really emphasized their desire to be included in planning the education piece," said Sue Blake, WSU Extension Faculty and project partner. “Input from residents will help us understand how to be most effective in our efforts.”
Silver Beach creek is shared by the City of Bellingham and Whatcom County jurisdictions. The creek experiences some of the highest bacteria and phosphorus loading of all the Lake Whatcom tributaries.
In addition to the education and outreach program, the Silver Beach Creek Pilot Project includes capital projects, water quality monitoring, and enforcement. The project is designed to reduce phosphorus and bacteria in Lake Whatcom. Information and displays on the project components will be available at the Community Conversation.
The successes of this project will be applied throughout the watershed as part of the water quality improvement strategy being developed by the City and County for delivery to Department of Ecology in 2010.
The Lake Whatcom Management Program is the joint effort of the City of Bellingham, Whatcom County, and the Lake Whatcom Water and Sewer District to protect Lake Whatcom as the source of drinking water for about half the residents of Whatcom County.
For more information about this project visit the city's website http://www.cob.org/documents/pw/lw/silver-beach-phosphorus-project.pdf or contact Education and Communication Coordinator Heather Higgins-Aanes at hhiggins@cob.org or 778-7900.
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Media Contact:
Heather Higgins-Aanes, Education and Communication Coordinator
Public Works Department
360-778-7900
hhiggins@cob.org
