Conversation starters
Most popular
Bonneville Seattle is raising funds for the construction of a second Fisher House at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma and we need your help.
Where are the cleanest swimming areas in King County?
on June 26, 2012 @ 11:05 am (Updated: 1:44 pm - 6/26/12 )Sometimes water is clear. Sometimes water is murky with evidence of plant life. How do you tell if the water you're about to hop into is clean?
King County monitors area swimming beaches weekly, May through September, and the results of those weekly tests are updated and available online.
The test samples come from popular lakes and swimming beaches and are color-coded indicating "low concern" to "high concern" based on the amount of fecal coliform and algal toxins in the water.
Fecal coliform counts involve exactly what you think; they're intestinal bacteria from humans and other mammals that can be found in water.
High levels of fecal coliform can indicate a sewage leak or condition that heightens the health risk for people swimming in the water. Small amounts of the bacteria are routinely found in safe water, but high counts can lead to warnings and beach closures.
There are currently no lake closures in King County, but there are several creeks including John's Creek, Juanita Creek, Ravenna Creek, Idylwood Creek, and Thornton Creek, that the county recommends avoiding at this time.
Closures of lakes and creeks can also result from the presence of algal toxins. Toxic algae blooms have been responsible for closures on Lake Sammamish and at Green Lake in years past.
A particularly nasty type of bloom called cynobacteria, that has been present in area lakes before, can sometimes produce toxins that can be lethal to people and animals. Poisoning from toxins can happen in 15 to 20 minutes and may appear as numbness in the lips, fingers and toes, and dizziness.
After a couple lake closures due to the blooms in the late 90s, cyanotoxin monitoring became a regular part of county water safety checks.
Check the full list of King County lakes and beaches for information on the cleanliness and safety of water at swimming areas near you.
By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor
Whether it's floating on Green Lake, eating shrimp tacos at Agua Verde, or taking weekend drives out to the Cascades, she loves to enjoy the Pacific Northwest lifestyle as much as humanly possible.
-
One
Microsoft calls its new Xbox 'truly intelligent TV' -
Otherworldly
Amazon has new plans for huge biospheres on its new campus -
Nature's Reality Check
We can conquer terrorism, cure cancer, but a tornado can remind us of our insecurity
Bonneville Media encourages site users to express their opinions by posting comments. Our goal is to maintain a civil dialogue in which readers feel comfortable. At times, the comments can descend to personal attacks. Please do not engage in such behavior. We encourage your thoughtful comments which: have a positive and constructive tone, are on topic, are respectful toward others and their opinions. Bonneville reserves the right to remove comments which do not conform to these criteria.