The 2025 Western Washington Lakes Workshop “Waves to Engage” was a great success, with nearly 50 attendees across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and beyond, joining virtually for an evening of learning, connection, and meaningful discussion. Attendees brought great energy — asking thoughtful questions and sharing valuable resources throughout the event.
Topics covered a broad range of lake stewardship topics, with strong interest in how residents can get involved—through forming associations or management districts, volunteering, advocating, or simply socializing around their lakes. Panelists shared suggestions for water quality monitoring tests, how to access and collect meaningful lake data, and where to find funding for management efforts.
Many left inspired to take action in their own communities—reporting that they would like to explore grant opportunities (see Washington State grant opportunities), dive into new resources like iNaturalist and Libraries Love Lakes, organize fun social events at their lake to bring the community together, and plan volunteer water quality monitoring or invasive plant removal efforts. From reviewing phosphorus testing options to rethinking how to engage neighbors, (such as by using tools like Nextdoor and Liberating Structures), the momentum for lake community engagement is strong!
A huge thank you to our panelists for sharing their time, expertise, and insights: Marisa Burghdoff, Snohomish County; Tim Clark, Herrera; Barry Halverson, Lake Lawrence Lake Management District; David Scheirman, Birch Bay Village; and Joey Teresi, Washington Department of Ecology. Thanks also to our 2025 WALPA sponsors (Herrera Environmental Consultants, YSI / Xylem, and Aquatic Insight) for their generous support. We’re also deeply grateful to those at the workshop who made a donation—your contributions were enough to fund half of an undergraduate student scholarship!
Thank you to everyone who helped make the workshop such a productive and inspiring event!
Looking forward to our next workshop? Then provide feedback on topics you’d like to learn more about. Even if you did not attend this year’s workshop, please share your thoughts by answering this quick survey: https://forms.gle/SwKY9pr5h1MJb5g88
