Black Diamond NOW

Stormwater, Phosphorus and Lake Sawyer

As often stated, protecting Lake Sawyer water quality requires limiting sources of phosphorus discharged into the lake.  Phosphorus is the primary nutrient in lakes that stimulate plant growth, leading to eutrophication - otherwise known as becoming a dead lake.  One way to actually "observe" sources of phosphorus loading is to take a drive around town during heavy rain events.  Fully one third of all phosphorus discharged into Lake Sawyer comes from stormwater during these peak storm events in just a matter of days.

It's been a while since I wandered about in the rain, so I thought I would go out and take a quick look-see, focusing on the Rock Creek watershed where approximately two thirds or more of phosphorus loading into the lake comes from today.  Although I didn't have a turbidity meter with me for taking samples, you can learn a lot simply by observing the clarity and color of the water.  To orient us, following is an aerial photo taken by King County in 2017.  I've added a few labels to help with orientation.

Each of the streams within the Rock Creek watershed are highlighted in blue.  Based on past observations and sampling, I focused first on Ginder Creek as it winds it way down from the John Henry Mine, across SR 169 and on to Rock Creek.  There are two points where stormwater from the mine enters Ginder Creek.  The first is from Ginder Lake.

Even though mining has ceased and reclamation is halted during wet weather conditions in winter months, stormwater continues to flow through two stormwater ponds on site, into Ginder Lake and on into Ginder Creek.   You can see the Morgan Creek residential development to the northwest.  I took a few photos of the creek as it flows through storm drains under the highway.  This is what I saw, labeled on the map as Pic #1.

With no current activity at the mine, there remains a lot of flow and it's quite clowdy.  The cloudier it is (turbidity), typically the higher the phosphorus level.

Then, following the creek south to the intersection with SR 169, another source of stormwater flow from the mine enters via Mud Lake.  First, another map.

Pic's 2 and 3 show significant flows and high turbidity from Mud Lake.  Pic #2

Pic #3

Ginder Creek also has quite a lot of SR 169 stormwater runoff going directly into the stream and full of lots of contaminants.  Pic #4

And finally, two more photos as the creek follows Roberts Drive before going under the road on it's way to hook up with Rock Creek.  Pic #6

Pic #7

And to be clear, no, the above photo is not taken of the city's sewer system.  Fortunately, cleaning up stormwater runoff from SR 169 is included in next year's city Capital Improvement Plan.  In addition, it now appears that Pacific Coast Coal Company is on the path to complete reclamation of the John Henry Mine over the next couple of years.  Once that is completed and then reforested, another significant source of phosphorus currently discharging into Lake Sawyer will be removed.

On the whole:  Good News and have a very Merry Christmas!!!!

The Mystery of Algae at Lake Sawyer

Reports over the last several weeks have suggested that Lake Sawyer currently is home to a toxic blue-green form of algae which poses a significant danger and health risk, particularly to pets.  However, each time samples were taken of this "toxic material"  by King County and analyzed in the lab, no toxic algae was found in any of these samples at detectable levels.  What gives? 

Following is a photo of what blue-green algae can look like when in bloom (photo not from Lake Sawyer).  Pretty nasty looking stuff.

Though I must admit to not having seen algae like this in the lake, it doesn't mean that it isn't here now or hasn't been sometime in the past.  How can we learn more?  For those interested, you might start by reading King County's publication Algae and Water Quality.  For techies, you might also want to read the paper Download Algae101.  One of the things I learned is that it isn't simple.  Algae comes in all sizes, shapes and colors and what can cause algae growth and blooms in lakes is both simple yet complicated. It's simple in that algae growth requires photosynthesis and the same general conditions as land based plants.  However, like all plants, there are some key variables specific to algae that need to be considered.  For example:

1. Temperature - warmer temperatures in temperate climates like ours facilitate increased algae growth
2.  Nutrients - phosphorus is the most critical in lakes providing the food needed for photosynthesis
3.  Water flows and mixing of nutrients can spur algae growth
4.  Season of the year - longer days and sunny skies promote growth, while short cloudy days and lower temperatures inhibit photosynthesis

I found the following graphic from King County to be particularly helpful in better understanding these relationships in a seasonal context.

Because the reported Lake Sawyer toxic algae blooms have been in October and early November, one would think that there shouldn't be any algae blooms this time of year.  After all, temperatures are declining and there are fewer hours of sunlight.  For those lakes with high levels of nutrients (phosphorus), algae blooms begin early and last through the summer, before declining in the fall.  Fortunately, Lake Sawyer phosphorus concentrations are low and we should expect a seasonal cycle more similar to the "little P" seasonal graphic.  A fall bounce in algae growth can be spurred by increased water flows and mixing. 

For perspective, following is how Lake Sawyer compares with other lakes in King County, with monthly data and trends dating back to 1997.  First for 2018.  The blue buttons are for Lake Sawyer and the black/grey circles are for the other King County Lakes.

The following comparative data shows annual average phosphorus levels from 1997 through 2018.  The 2019 report from King County should be available early next year as part of their annual report.

As you can see, Lake Sawyer is at the lower end of phosphorus levels.  For more Lake Sawyer data, follow this link to Lake Sawyer Water Quality - August 2019 Update.  

So, with fresh water entering the lake this year in September and recent sunshine, it is possible that stirring up of lake nutrients at the bottom along with sunshine and relatively warm water temperatures for this time of year, could result in a fall spike in algae growth like you see in the seasonal chart shown above for "little P" lakes.  In any event, it wouldn't necessarily be abnormal.  But toxic algae???

Some in the community have suggested that development is the cause of recent algae growth, resulting in higher lake phosphorus levels and therefore algae growth.  There has certainly been a lot of development around Lake Sawyer and in other parts of the city.  The Oakpointe MPDs have also been developing their site and building new homes.  Could they be the culprit?  If growth is the problem, its hard to find a smoking gun. Lake Sawyer water quality monitoring reports and data don't support this premise.  In addition, none of the stormwater generated by the Oakpointe MPD's are currently discharged into the Rock Creek watershed that flows into Lake Sawyer.  The two plats currently being developed are Plat 1-A and Plat 2-C, both of which flow into a stormwater retaining pond  that drains south, not north into Rock Creek and Lake Sawyer.  You can see this stormwater pond at the bottom center of the following aerial view from King County.

I have been repeatedly told by King County and state DOE staff that you cannot draw conclusions until you can clearly see trends over a significant period.  No trends in the vast amount of data that we have either, except perhaps increasing water temperatures and clearer lake water as evidenced by trends in Secchi test results.  Ironically, the clearer lake water becomes, and it is getting clearer, the deeper sunlight will penetrate and the further down in the lake photosynthesis can occur.  I'm not arguing that this is the case - merely to point out that there are lots of variables and that a smoking gun cause and effect for algae in Lake Sawyer is not at all clear.  In fact, no test results to date support claims made that algae in the lake is toxic or even that algae growth has increased in the lake.  

What to do?  Keep testing and be vigilant for where we can identify contaminated surface water runoff going into the Rock Creek drainage so that it can be remedied.  As for me, I will continue kayaking around the lake in search of this elusive toxic algae that I have yet to see any signs of.

 

John Henry Mine - November 2019 Update

Last week, I talked with the federal Office of Surface Mining (OSM) for an update regarding the status of reclamation activities at the John Henry Mine.  Good news.  According to OSM, mine reclamation activities continue and Pacific Coast Coal Company (PCCC)  has fully addressed the 5 deficiencies outlined earlier.  In addition, they are moving ahead now to update PCCC's permit to focus just on reclamation.  This is the best sign yet that they no longer intend to mine coal and are proceeding ahead to complete reclamation and reforest the site.

As you may note in the above graphic, there are three very large stockpiles that will become mountains no more.  The change in topography will be particularly noticeable for those of us who drive to Lake 12 and the Green River Gorge or on the road to Ravensdale.   With so much earth moving to occur during reclamation, there remains risk of surface water runoff containing high phosphorus concentrations into Ginder Creek and on to Lake Sawyer - but much less so than if mining were to occur and OSM will continue to monitor discharge water quality during reclamation.  We are also likely to see curtailed levels of reclamation during wet winter months which will reduce discharge risks even further.

State DOE has yet to address any potential updates or changes to PCCC's NPDES surface water discharge permit.  We should expect to hear from them later this month.

We Have a New Bridge

No, our new bridge doesn't allow us to bypass Maple Valley or Covington during commute hours, but it does improve safety for mountain bikers and hikers in the Black Diamond Natural Area.  Though the bridge has no official name, at least that I am aware of, I've always called it the "slatted bridge" because of the way it was constructed.  Slats placed on top of runners that allowed bikers to ride across and hikers to walk across, but nothing to hang onto or keep you from falling  into Ravensdale Creek.  Thanks to a combination of volunteers and King County Parks, we now have a much safer passage.  Here's how it looked on Saturday.

We have handrails!  The creek itself remains as beautiful and pristine as ever and also where we sometimes see winter run Coho salmon spawning in gravel bars along the creek.  Will begin regular checks on salmon beginning in December when water will be flowing over the weir into Covington Creek in enough volume for salmon to make it up, through the lake and into Ravensdale Creek.

We've seen salmon from the bridge in the past, though the spawning we have seen is a bit further upstream.  If you don't want to use the bridge, you can always use the log crossing, like I do.

Ha, Ha, Ha - no way am I going to make this crossing even scooting along on my butt.  You've got to love all the trails in the Black Diamond Natural Area.  Another of our community's great treasures.

If there is a challenge here, it's that there are so many trails you can easily get lost - not lost-lost but disoriented for sure. 

I always find it easiest to stay as close to the creek as I can, whether on the west side of the creek or the east side.  You can't go wrong this way.  We also now have parking on the west side of SR169 just south of 288th.  If you want to find the new slatted bridge, park here, take the main trail until it reaches the old railroad bed (in the future, this will be part of the Cedar to Green River Trail).  Turn right onto this main trail going north and then left at the first trail that goes west toward the creek.  Follow it along as it reaches the creek and bends south (left), always staying close to the creek and on your right until you reach the bridge.  Enjoy.

 

Chinook Salmon now Spawning in the Green River

On Tuesday, I headed out to Kanaskat-Palmer State Park hoping to see some fall colors along the shores of the Green River.  What did I find - Chinook salmon spawning close to shore and some fall colors too.  What a treat this was!  These are the big guys that we seldom see spawning around these parts.

I'm not sure which of these are the female and which the male, but they sure make a pair working their way up and down the spawning grounds and within about 20 feet from where I stood.  More often than not, there were three or four fish swimming side by side participating in this annual ritual.  You can see the eye of the one salmon to the far right - one of four in this cluster making plenty of splashes on the surface.

Here's another pair.  Note how big the humpbacks are.  The water is crystal clear.

Spawning is apparently a bit early this year, thanks to fall rains.  I also saw some smaller Pinks spawning, but the Chinook steal the show.  You can see the eye of another salmon above.  Is it the male with the bigger humpback or the female?  Judging from the positioning of the two fish, I would have to guess the bigger fish is the male, trailing somewhat the movement of the female.

I did find some fall color and the carcass remains from spawning fish that had arrived earlier.

On the one hand, it makes me sad.

On the other hand, we should be very happy.  It's the time of year when trees shed their leaves and salmon spawn, depositing their fertilized eggs for the spring return to sea and leaving their remains for the eagles and other wildlife that rely on them for sustenance to make it through the winter.  And to see them survive and now return in increasing numbers, it's a special treat.

This coming weekend should be a great time for visiting Kanaskat-Palmer State Park and wandering the shoreline, both to see the colors of leaves falling and to see the Chinook salmon in the act of spawning.  The best place I found was along the shoreline to the far north end of the park.  After entering the park, head down the road toward the river.  When the road T's, turn right and follow to the end.  Follow the trail from there to the river.  What a treat!

Lake Sawyer Water Quality - August 2019 Update

King County recently posted updated water quality test results for Lake Sawyer taken through August 2019.  Once again, one cautionary note - we need to focus on trends.  As the historical data shows, sample results can bounce around from sample event to sample event but it takes a period of years for significant issues, either good or bad, to emerge.  Lake water temperatures are a good case in point.  We have test data that goes all the way back to 1993 and trends here couldn't be more clear.

Unfortunately, lake water temperature is a variable over which we have least control, but the adverse impacts on our salmon and trout fisheries are also very significant.  Higher temperatures increase plant growth, decreasing dissolved oxygen levels in the water which further adversely impacts trout and salmon.

Secchi is a measure of water clarity.  A disk is lowered into the lake and when it reaches the point where it cannot be seen, that is the data point recorded.  The lower the disk goes, the better it is.  Current data shows continued positive trends.

Total phosphorus is an important indicator of long term lake health.  The greater the level of phosphorus in the lake, the more plant growth we will see, the less dissolved oxygen there will be and over time, this is how lakes die - a process called eutrophication.  This is also the variable over which we have the greatest control, with the principal source of phosphorus being surface water runoff such as stormwater into Rock Creek and Ravensdale Creek, with highway and development runoff into Rock Creek being the principal bad actor here.  

On the positive side of the ledger, stormwater runoff from SR169 is currently untreated discharging directly into Ginder Creek which flows into Rock Creek and represents a significant share of current phosphorus discharge into Rock Creek.  Thanks to the persistence of City staff and with the help of grant funding, we will soon have stormwater treatment capacity in place to mitigate this source.  In addition, Master Plan Developer Oakpointe is required to meet a phosphorus anti-degradation standard from stormwater runoff from the development.  In other words, they can have zero net impact on phosphorus discharge into Lake Sawyer.

On the other hand, there is now significant development in our city around the lake and elsewhere in town outside the MPDs with potential for significant adverse impact on phosphorus concentrations in the lake.  In addition, stormwater runoff from mining and reclamation at the John Henry mine flows into Ginder Creek and on into Lake Sawyer and also posing significant risk (more about the status of the mine in future posts).

Identifying trends for phosphorus can be the most difficult given the variables of precipitation across the 500+ acre Lake Sawyer watershed, the season of the year and depth of water in the lake.  Following are results from samples taken in May of each year at different lake depths.

Sample results in both May and  August show a lot of variability from year to year, but not a clear trend.

King County will publish an annual water quality report for the lake after the first of the year.  Will pass it along when its available.

Footnote 1:  There is currently no stormwater runoff from Oakpointe MPD's flowing into Rock Creek or elsewhere in the Lake Sawyer watershed.  This will change when development moves to other plats within the property that do drain into Rock Creek but not currently.  

Footnote 2:  The recent scare about potential toxic algae in Lake Sawyer is not substantiated by the facts.  Intensive sampling by King County found algae levels in the lake to be very low and in many cases at nondetectable levels.

John Henry Mine - Reclamation Costs

How expensive will it be for Pacific Coast Coal Company (PCCC) to complete restoration of the John Henry coal mine?  How about $6,381,806.  Based on Reclamation Bond records from 2018, that's what it will cost PCCC and that is the amount of the collateral bond backed by an Irrevocable Letter of Credit that they must maintain to ensure that mine reclamation be completed.  Completed by when is a whole another matter.  It's one thing to arrange with a bank for a letter of credit, likely backed by a lien on real estate holdings of PCCC, but actual restoration requires cash out of pocket spending and borrowing money.  Clearly, there is a big incentive for delay, delay, delay.  Mine reclamation has now finally begun.  Let's hope that it's completed soon.

Follow this link for a copy of last year's bond records obtained from the Federal Office of Surface Mining, Enforcement and Reclamation Download Bond

 

 

John Henry Mine - The Saga Continues

On April 18, 2018, the Pacific Coast Coal Company (PCCC), based in Seattle, received approval from the Department of Interior, Office of Surface Mining (OSMRE), to proceed ahead with surface mining at the John Henry No. 1 mine site located just north of town.  The Washington State Department of Ecology then issued an administrative extension to PCCC's existing NPDES permit, clearing the way for mine reopening.

So what's happened over the last 16 months?

1. NO MINING - After providing notification to all the adjacent residences and property owners of intent to proceed with mining and blasting and with promises that they had buyers for their coal, PCCC has not mined one ounce of coal and now admits to the fact that they have no customers for their coal mined now or in the near future. Remember the sales contract that PCCC presented as "proof" that they had customers for John Henry mined coal?  As several of us commented,  the so called "contract" required the identified "buyer" to buy nothing.  Not even an intent to buy.  But, they say they are still looking for potential customers.
2. NOTICE OF VIOLATION - PCCC received a formal notice from OSMRE that they were in violation of the conditions of the permit issued to them just last year.  Not yet sure about the nature of the violation but am tracking it down.
3. SITE INSPECTIONS - OSMRE is now visiting the site on a monthly basis and DOE on a quarterly basis.  For your reference, I am attaching copies of DOE's last two inspection reports dated March 26, 2019 and June 19, 2019.  It's never a good sign seeing an oil sheen on water draining from the coal washer into Ginder Lake while the inspectors are there.  See the pictures taken by DOE.
4. SOME RECLAMATION HAS BEGUN - Finally.

Based on past experience, I wouldn't get too excited about reclamation having begun.  There are plenty of ways to drag this out.  Reclamation of Stockpile 2 area alone is now estimated to take about two years and there is a lot more to be done in other areas of the property, even excluding the sites to be mined.  Previous estimates were that full reclamation would take just one year following cessation of mining.

DOE was previously planning to have available for public review and input an updated draft NPDES permit for the mine in May of this year.  It now looks like it will take a couple more months and we should have an opportunity to see an updated draft permit in November.

Following are PDF copies of the Inspection Reports:

Download John Henry Mine Inspection Report March 26 2019

Download John Henry Mine inspection report June 19-2019

I will pass along further updates as information becomes available.  Also, for perspective, the last coal mining at the John Henry Mine took place in 1999.   It's now 20 years later - well past when mine reclamation should have been completed.

Lake Sawyer Water Levels - August 2019 Update

As you may have noticed, Lake Sawyer water levels as we near the end of August are about one foot higher than last year at this time and way above the beaver dam days of 2015.    Attached is a recently updated graph prepared by Jack Sperry plotting lake water levels above/below the weir dating back to 1996.  

As you can see, not as steep a drop as we have seen in recent years - at least so far.  Rain in the mountains this time of year is always good.

 

 

Thanks again Jack Sperry and Bob Edelman for keeping us up to date.  For more information about Lake Sawyer weather, follow this link to Bob's website at Lake Sawyer Weather.

Black Diamond - 1936 to 2017

What has been happening in Black Diamond looking back over the period 1936 to 2017?  What did our community look like then and how does that compare with the here and now?  King County's iMap Interactive Mapping Tool provides some great points of comparative reference.  Following is an aerial image taken in 1936 spanning from 288th Street in the north to Jones Lake in the south and Lake 12 to the east and Horseshoe Lake to the west.  Not all of this area is within current city limits but the map provides a reasonable framework for visualizing what changes have occurred in our community over the years.  Here's what an aerial view of our community looked like in 1936.

Adding a few photos of well known locations from this time period, 1936 looks like this:

The Lawson coal mine closed in 1910 following the explosion that killed 11 miners and the Black Diamond mines were on their last legs, if not closed, by 1930.  The railroad depot closed in 1925 for passenger service but rail service continued for hauling coal until about 1931.  The mid 1930's and the great depression served to end what I'll call the "resort" era at Lake 12 and Lake Sawyer, but what an era it was. You could even rent bathing suits back then. The Lake Sawyer Mill Company sawmill and logging operations closed the doors in 1934.  Click on the above picture to enlarge and get a better view of these photos and their locations.

Fast forward to 1998 and as one might expect over 60 years, a whole lot of change occurred during this period.

Mining came back to town with Palmer Coking Coal's aggregate mining operation, the Reserve Silica mining operation of silica sand (now closed and in process of reclamation) and of course the John Henry No. 1 Mine which ceased operations in 1999.

Dredging of area lakes seemed to be the order of the day, particularly at Lake Sawyer, with significant parts of the lake dredged to make it more "development friendly".  But the big news was all of the residential development that occurred in our community beginning in the 1950's. The Lake Sawyer area alone added over 600 residential lots as the Neukirchen family (owners of the Lake Sawyer Mill Co.) and other land owners subdivided their land into residential lots.  Our cabin/home was built was built in 1954.  Significant waterfront areas surrounding Lake 12 and Horseshoe Lake were also developed during this period.  In addition, with the development of Morgan Creek, Lawson Hills Estates, Eagle Creek and Diamond Glen, historic Black Diamond also saw significant residential growth.

In 1975, the Black Diamond School District was dissolved and absorbed into the Enumclaw School District.  Grade school age children went to school in Black Diamond with middle school and high school students bussed to Enumclaw (as it is today).  Sawyer Woods Elementary (part of the Kent School District) was built to support the residential growth on the west side of Lake Sawyer, followed by Kentlake High School, which opened in September 1997.

By 2007, King County aerial photographs were now in color.

By 2007, new schools had attracted more residential development in the designated King County urban growth area west of Lake Sawyer.  In this case, land use regulations intended to protect land from development in unincorporated King County didn't quite work.  Lots of homes were built.  The John Henry No. 1 Mine ceased operating in 1999.  No mine reclamation occurred during the 2000 - 2017 period and we can see a big deep lake and spoils piles now on the site.   A significant area of timberlands in the Lake Sawyer watershed were also clear cut during this period.

A decade later in 2017, we can see the beginnings of the 10 Trails Master Planned Development.

Important parts of Black Diamond's history remain with some freshened faces.  Still a wonderful view of Mt. Rainier from the Black Diamond Bakery.  The old railroad station has been remodeled and "reclaimed" into a top notch History Museum befitting our community's coal mining history.  What a great new coal miner statue. Even the historic cemetery received a freshening.  Wonderful library and a brand spanking new elementary school.  Trails for mountain bikers and hikers abound and so do the views from Lake Sawyer.  Fortunately, our community's gift of wonderful wildlife remains including those cute otters, elite osprey fishermen and kings of the sky bald eagles.  4th of July traditions with Uncle Sam at Lake Sawyer and Labor Day festivities also remain.  

It will be interesting to see what this map looks like in 2027.  Fortunately, we have some important measures now in place that hold real promise for our future.  For one, new parks and natural areas are strategically located to protect the Ravensdale Creek sub-watershed and Lake Sawyer water quality.

Forest lands previously logged have recently been acquired by King County and add even more buffer protection.  Much to be thankful for and much to look forward to, including plenty of challenges too.  From where I sit, though, my glass is well over half full.

 

Friends of Lake Sawyer - On Vacation or Moving Away?

In the nearly 40 years that we have lived at Lake Sawyer, we could always count on visits from lots of regular friends.  Though I expect that they are still around, it's been awhile since we have seen a few of them.  Maybe I should put up some MOST WANTED posters.  First on my MOST WANTED list are the family of river otters that seemed to visit so regularly during fall and winter months.  They are so fun to watch and a great indicator of healthy water quality.  But, it's been a few years since we have seen them making the rounds.

At one time we had kokanee spawning in Ravensdale Creek - a  fisherman's delight to be sure for both man and otter but kokanee haven't been seen here for 20 years or more and are no longer planted in the lake.  But, trout and bass fishing do seem to be reasonably good, judging from all the cormorants, osprey and fishing boats we regularly see.  So let's hope that our otter friends are just vacationing elsewhere for a little while, letting osprey guard their territory.

A couple of winters ago, a storm wreaked havoc with the eagles nest at the south end of Lake Sawyer next to Frog Lake.  Alas, too much damage done and the eagles haven't been seen nesting here since then.  Though we do still occasionally see them patrolling around the lake, it sure would be great if we could find where they might be nesting now.  Close I hope.

Here's a view of a 3 or 4 month old eaglet taking some practice flights between branches, about ready to leave the nest.  Where else have you seen this before and within walking distance of your home?

Next on my MOST WANTED list are the winter Coho salmon that have historically spawned up Ravensdale Creek.  Four or five years ago, Judy and I were able to find them spawning near the "slatted" bridge.  Quite the spectacle to witness.

The good news - a substantially modernized salmon hatchery downstream at Big Soos Creek is now nearly completed.  Let's hope that increasing water temperatures and more development along Covington Creek don't ruin this important habitat.

So, if you spot any of these "friends" on our MOST WANTED list, please let me know.  It's very important that we keep the welcome mat out - through our actions to protect lake water quality and to maintain the vital wildlife habitat that we now have.

With the old Black Diamond sewer plant no longer discharging into the lake beginning about 1991, with the John Henry No. 1 mine shut down beginning in 1999 and now we have an "anti-degradation" phosphorus discharge limit in place and enforceable with the MPD developer, we have a good shot at protecting the lake.  But, it will take the continued work and vigilance of us all to make that happen. We do have challenges ahead.

Lake Sawyer Water Temperatures

It sure seems like it's been a warm and dry January.  One indicator for me has been that I've been able to be out on the lake in our kayak at least a half dozen times so far this year.  I can't remember ever being out in January before.  Maybe it's all that tough old horsehide we grow for skin as we age, protecting us from the cold?  Curious, I checked the Lake Sawyer Weather website and sure enough, weather has been mild this January to say the least.  As of January 31, Lake Sawyer water temperature measured 48 degrees F at one meter below the surface.  That's certainly warm for this time of year.  I think we can forget ice skating around the lake again this year.  Here's the latest lake water temperature chart.

Although Bob Edelman, who maintains this website, doesn't have historical water temperature data readily available, he does provide historical annual rainfall data and historical ambient temperature data on a daily, weekly, monthly and annual basis for Lake Sawyer dating back to 2005.  Using this data, following are two charts.  First, January rainfall for the years 2005 through 2019.

2019 has had the lowest level of rainfall at just 2.87 inches in January over this period.  Average January ambient temperatures also are at the high end of the spectrum over this period.

Unfortunately, higher temperatures are not good for fish habitat, particularly trout and salmon.  The oxygen carrying capacity of warm water is much less than for colder water.  Not a problem for catfish though.  It's most likely wishful thinking, but let's hope that warming trends don't continue or accelerate as recent years and forecasts seem to suggest.

Thanks again Bob for keeping us informed about the lake!

Whitewater Kayaking and Rafting Down the Green River Gorge - Update

Last week I noted how high water flows were in the Green River Gorge.  3,200 cfs is prime for whitewater kayaking and rafting (see complete article below). Apparently such a large release of water from the dam was done in coordination between the corps of engineers and recreational kayaking groups and only for a short period.  As of Feb. 1, water flows are now back down to only 1,000 cfs which is normal for this time of year. 

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With water now flowing at 3,200 CFS, it's prime time for advanced kayakers and river rafters to enjoy the thrill of shooting the rapids down the Green River Gorge.  What an incomparable experience this is.  

I spent yesterday hiking several trails in the gorge and ran into some kayakers at Kanaskat-Palmer State Park preparing to head down the river.  I also was surprised to see the high water flows being released by the dam.  

The word must have gotten out because at these flow rates, this is prime time for those capable of navigating level III and level IV rapids.  High flows limited my access to the river and photograph opportunities but it sure is a thrill just to see it.  The 5 miles from Kanaskat to the takeout at the Franklin bridge have some pretty amazing rapids.  So, I headed down to the Franklin bridge hoping to see the kayakers as they made their way down.  Sure enough, in not too long, along they came.  The photo you see above was taken from one of the take out points - after the major rapids.  By this time, it was pretty easy play time for these kayakers.

The take out point is immediately below and to your right.  A lot of water flowing.  Several years ago, Judy and I were fortunate to raft down through the gorge, guided by experts, and what a memorable experience it was.  It was not just the thrill of the rapids, but the unique beauty of the gorge seldom seem by many.  Since that day, my appreciation for the gorge and the need to protect such a unique asset for future generations has grown enormously and if I want to get away for a hike close to home, this is my get-a-way.

Such unique geology.  Somehow, I don't think I need the sign to tell me not to dive, even at high water.

 

Goings On

Two important issues are before our community this coming week:

1. Public Hearing re Black Diamond's city budget for 2019
2. Public Comment period ends re DOE Agreed Order for cleanup of the Reserve Silica mining site near Ravensdale

Black Diamond has scheduled a special Council meeting for Monday December 3rd at 7pm to receive public comment regarding the city's draft 2019 budget.  A copy of the budget can be found at Special Council Meeting Packet.  I know it can be arduous to work your way through all these numbers, but it's important too.  With significant development underway, it's particularly important now.  Increasing our city's financial reserves remains essential.  After having the coffers nearly bare in 2009, steady progress has been made over the years, with the notable exception of the Derdowski council spending of 2017.  The following chart shows beginning and ending general fund reserves. beginning in 2010.

You can find a complete copy of my comments for this year's budget at Download 2019 Budget Comments.  Please let our Council, Mayor and staff know that you care about these issues and support their efforts to continue to shore up city financial reserves.

The Reserve Silica site near Ravensdale and Ravensdale Lake has been closed for surface mining of silica and coal since 2007.  However, dating back to the 1980's, the site was also used as a dump site for hazardous materials that continue to this day to result in groundwater/surface water quality problems at and adjacent to the site.  Mine owners first sought to develop part of the site into residential lots.  Thankfully, with the help of local citizen's, the King County Council's preliminary approvals for changing land use were overturned and owners are now under Order from the State DOE to reclaim and clean up the site.  The public comment period for these reclamation plans can be found at DOE Reserve Silica and Greater Maple Valley Council - Reserve Silica.  This issue is important to Black Diamond and Lake Sawyer residents.  Surface water runoff through current groundwater seeps can contaminate Ravensdale Lake which flows into Ravensdale Creek which flows into Lake Sawyer.

 

Lake Sawyer Water Levels - Current Readings

Thanks to Jack Sperry, we are able to track seasonal water levels in Lake Sawyer dating back to 1996.  As we can all tell just by looking at the lake, water levels have already gotten pretty low - the second lowest reading we have seen for this time of the year since data has been collected on a regular basis.  Here are the trends.

This is how Jack Sperry explained what he sees:

"As you will note on the graphs, the lowest yearly water level in my collection of King County data (1996-2006) and Bob Edelman’s (2010-2018) data using my water level gauge was in 2015(bright green line) when the inlets to the lake were restrained by beaver dams until they were removed.  This year (red line) is showing the 2^nd lowest summer water levels in my data collection.  I believe this is due to unusually lower rainfall this year and early and extended periods of warm and sometimes very hot weather.  We’ve received about 10 cumulative inches of rainfall less this year than at this same time last year and coincidently our water level (red line) is just a little more than 10 inches lower than it was a year ago (brown line)."

Hopefully, the current weather outlook for rain over the next week will help arrest the decline before it gets much lower.

Thank you again Jack for keeping us up to date.

Time for a Visit to the Cedar River Watershed?

Rich in natural resources and rich in history, the 90,638 Cedar River watershed owned by the City of Seattle is a real jewel.  Not only does it provide two thirds of the city's water supply and serve a total population of over 1.2 million people, it is a naturalist's dream - off limits to us all except for a few limited programs and tours held each year.  Many of us have hiked the trail to the top of Rattlesnake Ledge and have seen the beautiful forestlands below and Chester Morse Lake created by the dam in the distance.  Now you have an opportunity for a closer look.  Following is a screenshot of the tours/programs now being offered on the city's website:

I've heard and read so much about the flooding of Moncton once caused by Masonry Dam and the historic mining, railroad and logging towns of Taylor, Cedar Falls, Barneston and Kerriston.  Now we have an opportunity to see and learn from the experts.  Participation is limited and a nominal fee applies.  For example, the Watershed Tour is offered every Saturday and Sunday through September.  Reservations will be needed and capacity is limited to only 30 people each day.  The Family Watershed tour is specifically designed for the shorter attention span of youngsters.  Naturalist adventures also await youngsters.

For those not familiar with the Cedar River watershed, the following map might help.

For more information about these programs and tours, follow this link to Cedar River Watershed Programs and Tours.  I hope that you find the time to take advantage of this fun opportunity.

Water Quality - Lake 12 and Jones Lake

While updating water quality trends for Lake Sawyer, I took a quick look at water quality indicators for two other local lakes.  Lake 12 and Jones Lake will both be adversely impacted by discharge from the John Henry mine should it restart operations.  Both lakes are also currently struggling with water quality challenges.  Following are graphs showing trophic state index trend indicators provided by King County for each lake.  As a reminder, >50 = eutrophic is good for algae, catfish and cloudy water, <40 = oligotrophic is good for salmon, trout and clear/clean water.  Lake 12's numbers are as follows.

Phosphorus concentrations appear to have worsened at Lake 12 in recent years.  In addition, should the John Henry Mine restart operations, this will further increase the amount of runoff and phosphorus going into the lake, potentially adding to current concerns.

Jones Lake appears to have even greater water quality challenges and would be considered as eutrophic today.  The data shown below is the last data available, but there is nothing to indicate that things have gotten any better since then.  To some extent, Jones Lake serves as a "sink" for process water and stormwater generated by the John Henry mine, stormwater from Lawson Hill residences, SR169 road runoff and old town Black Diamond stormwater, before discharging into Rock Creek and eventually into Lake Sawyer.  Without this sink and accumulation of sediment in Jones Lake, it is likely that Lake Sawyer water quality would be worse than it is today.  And keep in mind, what happens to sinks after a while?  They can only hold so much before accumulated sediment begins to overflow and this could significantly and adversely impact  Lake Sawyer.  Here is the data we have for Jones Lake.

More about Jones Lake in a future post.

 

Lake Sawyer Water Quality - Updated Thru May 2018

King County recently reported water quality sampling results for Lake Sawyer updated thru May 2018.  In a nutshell, there was not significant change.  Focusing first on phosphorus concentrations during May, here are my updated graphs.

No data was reported at a sampling depth of 15 meters for 2016 or 2018.  Not sure why.

Secchi disk sampling (a measure of water clarity) also remains in positive territory - five straight years now showing lake water clarity at a depth below the May average going back to the year 2000.   Data collected this year was rounded to the nearest whole number.   

As an overall indicator of lake water quality, King County uses what is called a trophic state index.  A eutrophic lake with an index greater than 50 is what we want to avoid at all cost - they are full of nutrients, weeds and algae.  Great for growing catfish, but not salmon or trout.  An oligotrophic lake with an index of 40 or below is generally clear with high oxygen levels and excellent fish habitat. 

In recent years, Lake Sawyer has remained borderline oligotrophic with good clarity and little if any algae.  Let's not go back to the bad old days of regular algae blooms and cloudy water.  Why are we concerned about process wastewater (coal washing operations) from the John Henry mine and stormwater from the mine being dumped into the Lake Sawyer watershed?  Enough said.

 

Yikes - Feds Give Go Ahead to Coal Mining at the John Henry Mine

Sad to say, the Federal Office of Surface Mining approved plans by Seattle based Pacific Coast Coal Company to reopen the John Henry mine and in the process, ignored our community's concerns about water quality degradation of Lake Sawyer.  Apparently, its ok these days to dump coal mine waste with elevated levels of contaminants into our lake.  In reading through OSM's approval documents, the only thing they apparently took to heart from State, County and citizen input was to require that PCCC begin reclamation if they fail to actually do mining at the site within one year.  In point of fact, this provides no assurance that reclamation will occur.  All PCCC needs to do to continue their blatant avoidance of reclamation is to move some equipment around for a week or so, call it mining, and then do nothing again.  Unless PCCC can "guarantee" that no degradation of Lake Sawyer water quality will occur, the mine needs to be closed for good now and reclaimed.  PCCC should be held to no lower water quality standards than those anti-degradation limits established with the city's Master Planned Developer.

To begin mining, two more permits must be obtained by PCCC - a Water Quality permit from Washington State Department of Ecology and a grading permit from King County.  Needless to say, I encourage us all to be in touch with DOE and do all we can to deny permit issuance.  Algae blooms in Lake Sawyer are too high a price for our community to have to pay.  Following are several links:

Federal Office of Surface Mining - John Henry Mine

Seattle Weekly Article May 25, 2018

Enumclaw Currier Herald May 25, 2018

The John Henry Mine - A Continuing Saga

Along with others I'm sure, I am planning to follow-up with DOE to better understand how we can best make our voices and concerns heard.  I will also follow-up with OSMRE to understand why our input and concerns were ignored.  No explanation has yet been given.

 

Coal Mining in Washington - A Quick Q&A

One cure for excessive verbosity is the simple use of charts and graphs.  Let's give it a try.

How much coal was mined in Washington State during the boom years?

Source: Coal & Coal Mining in Washington, Washington State Division of Mines and Geology, circa 1947

Where was coal once mined in the state and how many people were employed?  

Source: Coal & Coal Mining in Washington, Washington State Division of Mines and Geology, circa 1947

How much coal was mined in Pierce County?

Source: The Mining History of Pierce County, Washington Division of Geology and Earth Sciences, circa 1979

Which Pierce County Mines were the biggest.?

Source: The Coal Fields of Pierce County, Washington Geologic Survey, circa 1914

How big were the mines in our area, including Black Diamond and Franklin?

Source: Bill Kombol, Palmer Coking Coal Company

If employment is any indicator, local mines once accounted for 25% or more of all coal once produced in the state.

Were the mines safe?

Source: Bill Kombol, Palmer Coking Coal Company

During the period from 1887 thru 1927, 203 men lost their lives in local mines.

What about today?  No coal is currently being mined in the State of Washington.  However, Seattle based Pacific Coast Coal Company has submitted an application to restart mining at the John Henry Mine located just north of the City of Black Diamond.  Washington is one of only two states who rely on the U.S. Bureau of Mines for mine regulation and permit issuance.  Despite requests for a status update re Pacific Coast Coal's application, I have received no response from the Bureau of Mines.  

Because operation of this mine poses significant risk for degradation of Lake Sawyer water quality, I submitted my comments and concerns earlier.  But they do not respond.  They used to be quite responsive for info about the mine, but no more.  For more information about the John Henry Mine, follow this link to my earlier post The John Henry Mine - A Continuing Saga.  Once I hear anything, I'll be sure to pass it along.