PMB 2565, 1420 NW Gilman Blvd, Issaquah, Washington 98027 USA
TEL: [425] 641-3008 FAX: [425] 641-9288
E-mail:
lill@eskimo.comINTERNET: www.scn.org/earth/savelake
SPRING 1999 NEWSLETTER CONTENTS
Click on highlighted words to go to articleCREATING A SCENIC LAKE SAMMAMISH PARKWAY
ENDANGERED SPECIES LISTING
A PLEA FOR ORDER! - SLS needs a secretary
NEW SLS E-MAIL FEATURE - Do you still want a paper newsletter?
Make the Connection - Our daily actions matter!
In the last 150 years, changes of a magnitude second only to the glaciation of ten thousand years ago have reshaped the Lake Sammamish watershed. For those intervening thousands of years the natural hydrologic functions tended to equilibrium. The ecology of massive trees in old growth forests, abundant game, clean cold waters teeming with salmon evolved at a relatively gradual rate. It is astounding to realize that in a mere 150 years, mankind has effected changes on the landscape approaching that of thousands of years of glaciation!| "All well and good," thinks Mr.Typical Resident "but what has that got to do with me? I'm just one person." Yes, he is just one person. But how is he treating the watershed? He replaces indigenous trees and shrubs along the creek with grass so he can get a view of the water. He employs the local "Chem- Kill Company" to fertilize his lawn and to nuke all insects on his property six times a year. He dumps pet wastes and grass clippings next to the creek. He hoses off the lawn mower over the storm drain. Every Saturday morning he washes the three family cars in the driveway so the soap, tar removers and dirt can disappear down the storm drain. Every other week "Clean and Shine" janitorial service cleans his house and dumps dirty water and cleaning products down the storm drain because they don't want to mess up the "clean" bathroom toilets. |  |
When his house is painted, the painters rinse off the paintbrushes with gallons of water from the garden hose down the storm drain. And when the front entryway and driveway are reconcreted, the cement is hosed off down the stormdrain to achieve the exposed aggregate look! Now Mr. and Ms. Typical Resident care about their environment. They own a boat and the family spends happy days fishing, swimming and water skiing in Lake Sammamish. They want to see the salmon protected and they recycle their newspapers, bottles and cans. So where's the problem?
If Mr. and Ms. Typical Resident were the only people living like that in the watershed, it probably wouldn't matter. However, there are now hundreds of thousands of people, with more moving in daily, living like that in the watershed and every stormdrain leads directly into the closest creek and thence into Lake Sammamish. CUMULATIVE IMPACT is the name of the problem. Your bit plus my bit plus his bit plus their bit equals a lot of pollutants running into the Lake. Those pollutants and the eroded dirt from building sites and roads are choking the Lake with nutrients which stimulate algae growth, which leads to murky water, slime on the surface and "no swimming days."
It doesn't have to be like this. Make the connection---our everyday actions affect the Lake's health! All of us can make changes in our daily lives to minimize pollution in the Lake. Please read on for ideas. It's simply a question of the kind of environment we choose to leave for our children and grandchildren.
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Landscaping For You and the Lake! Recognizing the connection between peoples' actions and the health of the environment, there is a burgeoning movement called, "Lake-Friendly Landscaping." Traditional green lawns requiring lots of fertilizers, herbicides, and water are giving way to gardens using native plants, and non-natives suited to our growing zone. Where lawns have shallow root systems and need frequent watering, Native and Pacific Northwest zone-hardy plants need less water and are less prone to sickness. Lake Sammamish pollutants are reduced. |
"Lake-Friendly Gardening" Benefits of native and NW
zone-hardy plants:
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Save Lake Sammamish and the Pomegranate Center, funded by a Department of Ecology Centennial Clean Water grant for shoreline stewardship, obtained by Claire Dyckman of King County's Environmental Education Division assisted lakeside residents in adopting lake-friendly landscaping methods.
Sammamish Lake-Friendly Landscapers
Irene Pasternack and Ed Mills were one of eight
lakeshore families participating in the pilot phase of the program. When they signed on,
they designed a garden of edibles and blooms while preserving a play space for their small
children. Their design included ecoturf, an alternative to traditional grass. Ecoturf is a
mixture of grass, clover, yarrow, daisies, and other small groundcovers that are drought
tolerant and do not require much mowing or watering. They also revegetated much of their
beach using red osie and yellow dogwoods, and even a red-green dogwood from his folks in
the Mt. Hood area. Volunteer plants such as mint are filling in. This vegetation provides
a natural buffer zone / filter between runoff from their property and Lake Sammamish plus
property upstream from it! If thick enough, such shoreline vegetation can also provide a
physical barrier to unwanted waterfowl, such as geese. Increasingly, shoreline residents
are using native spyrea, sedges, iris, rushes, cattails, and other plants to create
natural privacy, stabilize banks and create habitat and food for fish and animals.
"We have had a bit of trouble with the ecoturf, "according to Ed Mills. "We had heavy rains right after we planted the seed, so we have mostly grass and clover - the other seed was washed away. We overseeded, and that has helped." This is the first year for the ecoturf, so it requires more water than Mills anticipates it will when established. Part of the ecoturf goes dormant in the winter, so one trades a bit of brown for lower maintenance, and better lake water quality a trade-off SLS hopes more and more people will choose as ecoturf becomes widely available.
Shari Kent, whose house was built in 1929, is another lakeside resident participating
in the pilot project. She mixed native plants with others that do well in our region. In
her Lake buffer, she planted yellow flag and blue iris, and dogwoods. "I wanted it to
be pretty, not just grassy stuff", she says. She was given expert advice and guidance
in planning the landscaping on her property, and is patiently changing her garden, trying
different plants to find what works and what doesn't. Besides planting herbs, ornamentals,
and wildflowers, she and her husband secured permission to dig native plants from the
Highlands development [formerly Grand Ridge] on the plateau. "They were going to plow
them all up anyway," she explains. "We dug up ferns, salal, and huckleberry;
they were free and are doing well."
Cougar Mountain SLS members Sara and Erik Hedberg have made lake-friendly changes to their gardens, as well. They were tired of maintaining a lawn on a sloping front yard, so took out all their lawn and planned a more Lake-Friendly Landscape --- to be low maintenance; consume little water once established; attract wildlife, and provide year-round interest, fragrance and beauty. "Even though we don't live at the Lake's edge, the runoff from our Cougar Mountain yard eventually drains into Lake Sammamish," says Sara Hedberg. "We love to boat and swim on the lake with our children, so we feel as responsible for the health of the lake as lakeside homeowners. That's why we want to be more careful about our gardening practices."
The Hedbergs follow mostly organic gardening practices. Their Lake-Friendly Landscape mixes native and zone-hardy yellow- and red-twig dogwood bushes, alpine fir, rhododendrons, azaleas, huckleberries, loganberries and bearberries, and various flowering annuals, perennials and bulbs for seasonal color, punctuated with large pieces of moss-covered granite. Butterfly bushes [buddleia] and penstemmon attract hummingbirds, and butterflies. Berries from crabapple trees, dogwood, and pernettya nourish the birds in wintertime. Small hemlock, alpine fir, leyland cypress and cedar pyrimidalis will soon be large enough to offer shade and shelter to birds. Maintenance of this garden is much less than the grass was. "Although we have to water during hot weather until the plants are well-established, we spend much less time than we used to spend mowing. And it is so beautiful."
| Lake-Friendly Landscaping Resources The following resources provide information on planning landscapes and finding suitable plants: |
Getting started is a small step! There are as many different approaches to lake-friendly gardening as there are gardeners. But there are some simple principles and practices to follow. You can start small by taking out a small area of grass this fall and turning it into a lake-friendly bed of native plants and groundcovers. Next spring, do another. Where you do choose to keep lawn, it's easy to perform more lake-friendly maintenance. Use organic fertilizers and spread fine compost over the grass instead of using synthetic fertilizers. Use little or no pesticides and herbicides. Accept that spots in full sun will brown out in the heat of summer, but return with cooler autumn weather. If you choose to use a lawn service, use a lake-friendly one. Videos, pamphlets, and plant lists are available to inspire your choices. Add in your own creativity and watch while you produce the beautiful, low maintenance, lake-healthy results. "There is so much we could do," concludes Mills. "If the majority of people would do just a little, there would be a lot of improvement." That means better water quality.for Lake Sammamish. |
Start Your Own EcoTeam
The EcoTeam Program is an exciting new program designed to improve the environmental quality of your neighborhood, help you learn to better steward natural resources for our children's sake, and get to know your neighbors better.The City of Issaquah, King County, and Puget Sound Air Pollution Control Agency sponsor the program.EcoTeam households reduce waste, lower their environmental impact, save money, and create safer, friendlier neighborhoods. You can really make a difference by starting an EcoTeam in your neighborhood or apartment building.For more information call Terry Risdon or Suzy Heim, at (425) 391-0222, or to listen to a 3 minute recorded overview of the EcoTeam Program call (425) 557-4331.
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King County Courthouse Comes To Issaquah
| King County is building a new courthouse adjacent to Issaquah Creek at 56th Street. The County granted itself a reduction of mandated buffers around "inconvenient" wetlands. SLS has challenged King County for several years over the issuance of variances from both the County's Sensitive Areas Ordinanace and its Shoreline Master Plan, which are in place to protect environmental integrity. So in the fall of 1998, SLS appealed the variance from the wetland buffer requirement. We lost the appeal on a technicality in King County. SLS then filed suit in Superior Court and settled with King County. The County and its contractor agreed to follow "lake-friendly" landscaping practices using native plants throughout the project. An additional acre of degraded buffer / wetland adjacent to the site will also be restored. We are hopeful that this public facility will prove to be a positive example of environmentally responsible landscaping for new development. Dancing Your Way To A Cleaner Lake Cartoonist Brian Basset helps explain how actions effect streams and Lakes miles away. | DID YOU KNOW? Sammamish: An Indian Tribe that lived on the lake shore. From two words "Samena", or hunter, and "mish", or people. From Washington State Place Names, by James W. Phillips, UW Press, 1971
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Dancing Your Way To A Cleaner Lake
The Watershed Waltz & The Sammamish Swing: How to Dance Your Way to Healthier Lakes and Streams In 25 Elegantly Simple Steps [plus a few fancy ones] Or Your Money Back!
| Cartoonist Brian Basset helps explain how actions affect streams and Lakes miles away. The Car Wash Watusi, the Oil Change Cha-Cha, the Home Care Maintenance Macarena and the Sole-Spike Stomp are featured in a new manual to help Eastside residents reduce pollution and improve the health of Lake Sammamish. The humor of syndicated cartoonist Brian Basset, creator of the strip "Adam", is featured. This bookelet should reside by your kitchen sink! This manual utilizes a playful approach to lifestyle changes people can make to reduce pollution into Lake Sammamish. It's being distributed by SLS and King County to Eastside homes and businesses. "Small changes we make in our daily lives are key to a healthier Lake Sammamish for both people and fish," said King County Executive Ron Sims. "This manual plainly explains how we're all connected by our environment and how our actions at home can impact others many miles away." The user-friendly manual explains "basic steps" and "fancy steps" every person who lives in the Lake Sammamish Watershed can take to reduce Lake pollution.To learn more about the manual or find out how you can receive a free copy, please contact Save Lake Sammamish. |  |
Weowna Creek Restoration -- High Tech - Low Impact
A century ago, Farmer Henry Thode wanted to plant crops in the Lake Hills wetlands. To dry out the land, he dug a channel from Peanut Lake [now called Phantom Lake] to the.top of the slope to the east. He reasoned his wetlands could then drain down to Lake Sammamish. Apparently he neither thought about downstream neighbors nor any environmental consequences. Farmer Thode blasted the final section of the channel with dynamite. Within the hour a furious neighbor scrambled up the slope to complain his barn had been washed out into Lake Sammamish by a furious rush of water! Thus began the inauspicious life of Weowna Creek. A busy little creek, Weowna has carved an impressive canyon through Weowna Beach Park, a park containing roughly 90 acres of 100+ year-old conifers on the western slope above.Lake Sammamish.
Recent construction in the watershed has dramatically increased the volume of water flowing from Phantom Lake. Consequently, the rate of erosion in the canyon has accelerated during the past ten years. The canyon's eroded rock and sediment swept into Lake Sammamish, forming a delta at the mouth of the creek. The creek damaged properties adjacent to it and dumped phosphorus, a naturally occurring fertilizer in soils, into the Lake. This phosphorus was feeding the Lake's unwanted algae and milfoil and, furthermore, the channel's dramatic erosion was threatening the safety and stability of 168th Avenue SE at SE 17th Street. King County and Bellevue pooled resources to stabilize the creek. Under the leadership of Bellevue Parks Department., this project has been a model of both physical restoration techniques and interactive collaboration between the community and government agencies. Under the innovative, thoughtful management of Dan DeWald, the Bellevue's Natural Resource Manager, this restoration protected the natural features of the park.
Rather than cut down a swath of trees to create a haul-road for machinery and materials, high-tech logging equipment, including a helocopter, was utilized. Thousands of tons of rock, gravel, wood and other materials were lowered on cables. By rebuilding the creek channel -halting erosion and mudflow into the lake- this project produced two waterfalls and a beautiful, natural-looking northwest stream. Revegetation of the stream and canyon and the construction of a trail were completed last Fall.
A fiscal note on stream restoration: the Weowna Creek stabilization price tag is $990,000. Is that expensive in relative terms? Not when compared to the disastrous project on Eden Creek on east Lake Sammamish, in which a pipeline was installed to carry high-flows. The end of the pipe blew itself right out of the lake, dumped an enormous delta at its outfall, tipped a floating dock, and diverted the creek from its original position. Subsequent "fixes" have yet to be successful in reducing the sedimentation pouring into the lake from Eden.
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| In recognition of our efforts to protect habitat, SLS has won one of King County,s prestigious biannual Green Globe Award. Winners are selected from businesses, organizations and individuals that have participated in one or more of King County Department of Natural Resources programs. Award winners represent King County's "best of the best." "They demonstrate leadership in environmental stewardship, take action to protect the environment, manage their resources wisely and involve the community in their programs." Winners on the ten Green Globe Awards will be honored at a breakfast ceremony on Earth Day, April 22, 1999, where King County Executive Ron Sims will present the awards. |  |
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Two Save Lake Sammimash Boardmembers, Karen Anderson and Denise Smith have recently submitted their resignations. While wholeheartedly respecting their change of direction, we are surely going to miss their thoughtful contributions to SLS. Thank you for your years of service to Lake Sammamish!!
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Enclosed is a contribution to SLS in memory of Amanda Hindman. A true earth steward, Amanda brought tireless energy to her environmental and social commitments. Perhaps in SLS's educational outreach you will inspire a youngster to aim as high as Amanda did in her goal to make a difference. Sincerely, Eileen Parkin
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Who Do I Call When I See Something That Will Hurt Lake Sammamish?
Such as oil in a creek; construction site erosion; illegal dumping; mud flowing into The Lake, etc.
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Sammamish Stewardship Saturday
One hundred and thirty volunteers, with shovels in hand, planted 1,325 trees and 560 shrubs at Sammamish Stewardship Saturday, March 20. Stewardship Saturday is designed to help restore streamside sites, reduce erosion and improve habitat for fish and wildlife. Now in its eighth year, it is jointly sponsored by the City of Issaquah, SLS, and King County Department of Natural Resources.
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The joy for me in this event," says Josh Kahan, an
Environmental Planner with the City of Issaquah, "is seeing the stream (Issaquah
Creek) slowly enhanced by our efforts. When I arrived here the creek was degraded. But
since we started Stewardship Saturday, hundreds of volunteers have made such a
difference." Trees and bushes were planted based on a strategic plan. The volunteers,
young and old, were organized into groups and helped by city and county officials. The
plants were provided by the city of Issaquah, which has spent close to $100,000 since the
inception of Stewardship Saturday. |
Volunteers marveled at how the old adage, "many hands make light work," is still so true, as they quickly planted the four sites completed on March 20th. Three sites were along Issaquah Creek one behind the Pickering Barn near Costco, and two south of the town of Issaquah [the "Sycamore' and 'Foothills' sites]. The fourth site was on Mountainside Drive up Squak Mountain. This event is a wonderful way to actually DO more than talk about the problems caused by rapid development in our watershed. It's a way to improve our environment. Some volunteers, like father and son Dave and Danny Buecker, feel a real connection with the flora they planted, and plan to revisit 'their' trees in the future to see how they are doing. Participants take great satisfaction in knowing that they have made a real difference in just a few hours. The next Stewardship Saturday is planned for October 16. Please plan to join us then rain or shine.
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TO: City of Sammamish Voters & Candidates
FROM: Save Lake Sammamish
| On Tuesday, April 27th, 1999, you will for the first time vote for a Sammamish City Council. This Council will set the policies and direction of the City for years to come. As a nonprofit organization, SLS cannot, and does not, endorse political candidates. However, since virtually all of Sammamish City drains down into the Lake, the Council's decisions will have considerable impact on the water quality in the Lake, and the environmental health of the region we call home. Therefore, we raise some of the major issues for your consideration as both voters and candidates as you decide how to cast ballots and determine your positions. | |
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Given the 12,000 housing units planned and approved for construction in the City of Sammamish, what role can the new Sammamish City Council play in protecting the natural environment? For thousands of years, rainwater has coursed its way into creeks and rivers and into Lake Sammamish. Rainwater slowly seeps into the soil and has replenished the Issaquah Aquifer, supplying water to about 12,000 homes in the cities of Sammamish and Issaquah. When paved surfaces like driveways and streets divert the rainwater, it alters water flow, tears up creek banks, increases flooding, and interrupts replenishment of groundwater. |
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What steps will the City take to control erosion from new development sites to ensure that silt is not polluting the Lake? Silt erodes from land not planted with vegetation. The silt contains rich nutrients, like phosphorus, that encourage algae growth and dramatically upsets the balance of a lake's ecosystem. Currently, King County has an erosion control specialist who monitors construction sites within the Lake Sammamish watershed in unincorporated King County. Once the City of Sammamish is formed, the County will no longer pay for this service within the City. Therefore, there will be no such monitoring unless money is allocated for the position. |
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What measurable, water quality standards will the City be willing to adopt for the lake, and how will they enforce such standards By King County ordinance, 50% of the phosphorus from new development in the Lake Sammamish watershed must be removed before it reaches the Lake. These standards are probably not being met, according to a County audit. |
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How will the City Council achieve acceptable levels of drainage and pollution control, and how will they finance it? Most existing development has inadequate or non-existent drainage control facilities to prevent erosion from polluting creeks. Even with higher King County standards, new development increases phosporus loading to the Lake. |
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What policies and regulations should be adopted to protect sensitive areas such as steep slopes, lake shorelines, and streamsides? Remove the vegetation, and there is no place for wildlife, and erosion and silt deposits downstream will increase. |
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How will the Council ensure an effective land use permit process? Obtaining necessary permits can take a long time and be expensive. In King County, people who don't bother to obtain permits often seem to "get away with it" because enforcement is lax. Even if caught, some ignore stop-work orders. Frequently, retroactive permits are issued to cover the illegal activities. If prosecuted, fines appear to be a token gesture and don't deter illegal behavior. |
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Will the City give financial support to the Marine Patrol on Lake Sammamish? The City of Bellevue cut support of the Marine Patrol from their budget. King County has continued to pay for some marine control functiond. What will the City do? |
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How will the City protect water quality during the construction of the East Lake Sammamish Trail? What water quality facilities will the City insist upon to deal with the massive amount of new impervious surface of the Trail? |
As you evaluate the positions of each candidate, please keep these questions in mind. There are no easy answers to these questions, but they are of vital importance to the Lake and, hence, to our quality of life.
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Creating a Scenic Lake Sammamish Parkway by Joyce McCallum
East Lake Sammamish Parkway has been managed as a highway shortcut in thepast. In the near future, more and more people will be attracted to the existing bike route on the paved shoulder, and the developing King County bike trail. Many children, pedestrians, and cyclists will cross the Parkway and walk or jog along the Parkway to enjoy the lake views. There are 53 school bus stops, 200 driveways, more than 20 neighborhood entrances and a bike facility as well as improving freeways which directly connect commercial areas, for heavy trucks, at each end of the Lake.
The Parkway will always be an important route between Redmond and Issaquah, but we can look at Island Crest Way, Lake Washington Boulevard, Chuckanut Drive, and other streets with special scenic value, to make our plans for the future. Here are some examples of what can be done:
Transforming a highway into a Scenic Drive will improve safety, reflect a new recreational focus, enhance the air and water quality near LakeSammamish and strengthen awareness of the lakeside environment.
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Sammamish Group, Sierra Club Date: Wednesday, April 14th, 7PM
Speaker: Rachael Paschal, Water Law Attorney and founder of Center for Environmental Law and Policy
Topic: Crimes Against the Water Code. The area's foremost authority on water law, Rachael willcover the threats to the East King County's future water supply - the Snoqualmie Aquifer, illegal water uses and permit process, threats to the recharge areas, plus the proposed gravelmine in North Bend, on top of the aquifer!
Location: Overlake Park Presbyterian Church corner of 156th Ave NEL and Northup Way in Bellevue.
Info: Gail Twelves , gtwelves@aol.com, 425-747-1206
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Volunteer Project Clearinghouse
Looking for a way to get involved in environmental restoration, monitoring or education projects? The City of Issaquah maintains a list of volunteer opportunities for the entire Sammamish Watershed. Check out the list at www.ci.issaquah.wa.us/rco/ or contact Chrys Bertolotto at 425- 837-3442 for a copy.
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We are using E-mail to quickly get the word out on key issues, events and activities, through a moderated Listserve. "Moderated" means only messages approved by SLS will be sent - there will be no junk mail. To be added to the Listserve, send your E-mail address to lill@eskimo.com.
An E-mail announcement will be sent when a newsletter is put on the web. If you no longer want the paper newsletter, send an E-mail to lill@eskimo.com.
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Save Lake Sammamish needs a volunteer secretary to join the Board of Directors. Primary duties are to take part in SLS Board meetings on the second Tuesday of each month; write minutes; and maintain the official Board files. Please have a computer with word processing software, E-mail, and web access.
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We thank our many volunteers, contributors, and friends for your continued support. The future depends on you.
The Editors would like to acknowledge Sara Hedberg for her gracious help in preparing this Newsletter. Thanks Sara!
‚ Yes, I want to join Save Lake Sammamish. Here are my membership dues of:
‚ $25 Individual membership ‚ $250 or more Stewardship
‚ $40 Family membership ‚ _________________ other
‚ $100 Sponsorship
‚
I am already a member. I would like to make an additional contribution of $_________.‚ I would like information about volunteering to help SLS. Please contact me.
‚ I would like to help you with your fundraising. Please contact me.
NAME: ____________________________________________________________
ADDRESS:_________________________________________________________
PHONE: [ ]_____________________ E-MAIL:__________________________
Please send to:
PMB 2565
1420 NW Gilman Blvd.
Issaquah, WA 98027 USA.
[425] 641-3008
Thank you.
Contributions to SLS, a non-profit organization, are fully tax deductible by law.
Spring 1999
