Reports from the Washington State Department of Ecology and Western Washington University have provided substantial evidence that the health of Lake Whatcom, the drinking water source for some 95,000 people, remains threatened by various by-products of development in the watershed.
On May 19, 2008 the Bellingham City Council approved an emergency ordinance establishing a moratorium on divisions of land, processing of building permits and certain land disturbance activities within the Lake Whatcom Watershed.
As of July 14, 2009, the moratorium has been lifted and applications for development proposals may be submitted. All new proposals must be designed to be consistent with the amended Lake Whatcom Reservoir Regulatory Chapter and the Stormwater Management Ordinance regulating development activities in the Lake Whatcom watershed.
Below are the relevant documents and links to resources:
For more information Lake Whatcom water quality and protection efforts, please visit our Lake Whatcom Reservoir section, or contact Kurt Nabbelfeld, Senior Planner, at 778-8351 or knabbefeld@cob.org.
Updated: July 31, 2009
