Washington lake advocates propose Community Allied Lake Monitoring: a collaborative program to monitor our lakes
BY JOY RAMSTACK HOBBS AND JIM GAWEL
Lake water quality monitoring is sparse in the state of Washington, and is currently clustered in areas fortunate enough to have a strong county monitoring program. This has been the case since 2000, when the lake monitoring program run by the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) lost funding. Although there are several current Ecology programs focused on lakes, including the Freshwater Algae Program and participation in EPA’s National Lakes Assessment, there is no longer an overarching program that collects annual baseline water quality data on Washington lakes.
WALPA celebrates three decades of annual gatherings in Spokane
WALPA conference attendees headed to the east side of Washington in October to gather for the organization’s 30th annual conference on the shores of the Spokane River. The conference theme – “Lakes: A Valuable Public Resource” – provided an appropriate frame for numerous talks involving lake management, research, protection, recreation, and more.
The impact of beaver dams on aquatic macroinvertebrate communities
BY ANNA SHAMPAIN, UNIVERSITY OF PUGET SOUND ’18
In the western United States, riparian zones comprise less than one percent of the total land area, yet are some of the most productive habitats per area (Arthington et al. 2010). In the Pacific Northwest, riparian zones are an essential part of the life cycle of many species, including salmon, an economic, ecological, and socially significant keystone species. Beavers are also key inhabitants of riparian ecosystems due to their role as ecosystem engineers.
Oregon and Washington join forces again!
Mark your calendars for the 2018 OLA/WALPA Joint Lakes Conference in Portland
It’s back! The Oregon Lakes Association (OLA) and the Washington Lake Protection Association (WALPA) are once again collaborating to organize a Joint OLA/WALPA Lakes Conference. The conference will be held September 26-28, 2018 at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Portland, so put it on your calendar now!
Fishing for your health in Washington
Based on an article by Jon Sutton of Outdoor Empire
Whether you live in Washington or are just visiting, you’ll want to set aside some time for fishing. You’ll not only have a great time, but recent research shows that you’ll enjoy important health benefits too. Make sure you have all of the required licenses and permits, and get ready to try your hand at landing a few of Washington’s glorious gamefish.
