Submitted by Don Russell and Tom McClellan.
Preface
This paper describes the events that have resulted in the foretold demise of Waughop Lake as a crown jewel of Fort Steilacoom Park. Waughop Lake’s demise is the direct result of irresponsible stewardship of the lake on the part of the City of Lakewood abetted by Ecology.
The foretold demise
In a July 22, 2019 letter published in The Suburban Times bearing the caption of The Pending Demise of Waughop Lake Courtesy of Ecology and Lakewood City Council I stated:
One of these days soon Fort Steilacoom Park goers will witness the beginning of the demise of Waughop Lake as 8 large tanker trucks roll up to the shoreline of Waughop Lake, unload their toxic cargo of chemicals onto a barge that will then discharge 48,826 pounds of toxic soluble aluminum and 109,730 pounds of sulfate into the lake. The sulfate will subsequently be chemically transformed into toxic hydrogen sulfide upon exposure to Waughop Lake’s oxygen depleted bottom waters and nutrient polluted sediments.
Whereas the City council members have received numerous pleas from Lakewood and surrounding area citizens to not allow this Ecology sanctioned chemical pollution of Waughop Lake to take place, Council has instead elected to follow the advice of City staff and its hired (for $94,720) pro alum treatment consultant (Tetra Tech). The City’s hired alum applicator (HAB) will be paid $326,673 to discharge this toxic chemical brew into Waughop Lake at a total combined Waughop Lake alum treatment cost of $421,393. Ironically, the funds that will be used to pay for this alum treatment will be provided by Lakewood and Pierce County private property owner surface water management and flood control zone district ratepayers, not by the two state owned institutions (Western State Hospital and Pierce College) that caused the nutrient pollution condition of Waughop Lake’s bottom sediments.
It is interesting to note that similar size Wapato Lake was alum treated in 2017 under the supervision of a different alum treatment consultant Herrera (paid $31,544) using the same HAB applicator (paid $96,303) that the Lakewood City staff will be using for the Waughop Lake alum treatment. The total combined cost for the Wapato Lake alum treatment was $136,556.
The City of Lakewood paid Brown & Caldwell $200,000 to develop the 2017 Waughop Lake Management Plan, This Plan stated that the best management practice to restore the safe beneficial recreational, aquatic life and aesthetic enjoyment use of Waughop Lake is to remove the layer of nutrient polluted sediment laid down by 65 years of Western State Hospital’s discharge of slaughtered animal waste products, manure and human sewage and 40 years of Pierce College’s intermittent discharge of human sewage into Waughop Lake. This Plan stated that should funding for sediment removal be unavailable, then a $210,000 alum treatment could be considered to temporarily mitigate one effect (harmful cyanobacteria blooms) of the existence of this layer of nutrient polluted sediment.
City staff, without challenging the City’s two consultants’ wildly divergent cost estimates for removing the layer of State institution caused nutrient polluted sediment from Waughop Lake, advised City Council that the sediment removal best management practice option was simply unaffordable. Staff advocated and City Council approved Tetra Tech’s prescribed $421,393 alum treatment plan that has a price tag twice that of B&C’s prescribed alum treatment plan and 3 times that of the cost to implement the 2017 Wapato Lake alum treatment plan.
My appeal to the Pollution Control Hearing Board
In 2019 I filed an appeal with the State Pollution Control Board to prevent this massive discharge of toxic chemicals into Waughop Lake. The appeal was denied on narrow legal grounds, not on its merit. The appeal did however delay the TetraTech proposed alum applications until 2020.
One final plea to the City of Lakewood City Council
In a November 4, 2019 letter to City Council members published in The Suburban Times I stated:
Dear Lakewood City Council Members, the algae/aquatic plant growing season in Waughop Lake is now over. The lake has experienced its lowest surface water level in the 20 years that I have been monitoring the lake’s behavior.
The 2019 proposed $420,000 Tetra Tech prescribed alum treatment did not occur this year. Yet there was no significant harmful cyanobacteria blooms, only excessive aquatic plant growth that interfered with people fishing for bass and carp along its shoreline. This fact is significant and needs explanation.
In 2017 the City verified that Pierce College’s human sewage was intermittently being discharging into Waughop Lake. In 2007, I brought this situation to the attention of the Tacoma Pierce County Health Department and the City of Lakewood. At that time this discharge of sewage was attributed to a construction mishap on Pierce College’s campus. There was never any follow up to see if this 2007 noted sewage discharged ceased after the campus construction project was completed. These facts were unbeknownst by those who drafted the 2015 Brown & Caldwell Waughop Lake Management Plan that concluded that internal P loading from sediment (rather than external sewage P loading) was the proximate cause of the lake’s recurring harmful cyanobacteria blooms.
Human sewage is rich in nutrients, particularly in phosphorus that fuels harmful cyanobacteria blooms. Pierce College’s discharge of human sewage into Waughop Lake College finally, after 40 years, ceased in the winter of 2017. Once this external source of phosphorus loading of Waughop Lake was eliminated the lake began to transition from a turbid water toxic algae dominated state to a clear water aquatic plant dominated state. Such transformation will require an entirely different (than a in-lake alum treatment) lake water quality management strategy if the lake is to provide park goers future full beneficial uses (fishing, boating, wading, aesthetic enjoyment) of the lake.
Fortunately, Ecology’s APAM-NPDES general permit issued to the City of Lakewood does provide numerous approved chemical treatment options for managing excessive aquatic plant growth. However, lacking at this time is a City Council/staff designated Waughop Lake water quality manager whose responsibility is to (1) decide which of these many Ecology approved lake water quality management techniques is appropriate for application in aquatic plant (including invasive non-native curly leaf pond weed) infested Waughop Lake and (2) to select and provide oversight of the City’s selected applicator of the appropriate combination of these Ecology approved chemicals (e.g., algaecides, herbicides and phosphorus inactivation agents).
Lacking such a City designated Waughop Lake water quality manager, the most environmentally responsible and least expensive option for the City, park attendees, and Pierce County Surface Water Management and Flood Control Zone private property owner ratepayers is to refrain from any chemical intervention of Waughop Lake’s current transition from a turbid water harmful cyanobacteria dominated state to a clear water aquatic plant dominated state.
All three independent studies done on Waughop Lake agree that the appropriate and environmentally prudent action to restore the safe beneficial use of nutrient impaired Waughop Lake is the dry and wet removal of the layer of nutrient polluted sediment that was laid down by 65 years of Western State Hospital’s disposal of slaughtered animal waste, manure and human sewage and 40 years of Pierce College’s intermittent discharge of human sewage into Waughop Lake.
At this critical time, I urge you to take informed, wise and environmentally prudent action to assure that the restoration of Waughop Lake’s safe beneficial recreational and aesthetic enjoyment takes place commencing in 2020 and beyond.
March and July 2020 alum treatments
The City of Lakewood Council approved, Ecology permitted and the TetraTech prescribed 40 mg/L alum treatments were applied in March and July of 2020 to Waughop Lake by HAB Aquatic Solutions.
What happens in such a treatment is that aluminum sulfate (AKA alum) is applied to the lake, along with a buffering compound of sodium aluminate. The reason for the buffering compound is that aluminum sulfate has a pH of around 2.0, meaning super acidic. So the sodium aluminate (pH of 11) neutralizes that acid shortly after application, hopefully leaving the lake in a neutral state, meaning not acidic, not basic.
Aluminum sulfate has the chemical formula Al2(SO4)3. It is a molecule whose aluminum ion (Al2) is weakly bound to its sulfate ion (SO4). When it hits the water during the application, the aluminum ion gets easily attracted away to bond with something else, like the phosphorous that is in suspension in the water, or with just about any organic matter. The newly bound particles then fall to the bottom of the water body, leaving it very clear. This is why alum is used in many municipal water systems (but not in Lakewood), as it grabs onto any particles of pollutant or precipitates in the water.
But when the Al2 ion rips itself away from the aluminum sulfate molecule, it leaves the SO4 ion looking for a new dance partner. The result is that sulfate and sulfide compounds are formed in the lake sediments, making them more acidic and less amenable to aquatic plant growth. Acidic soils can also result in the released of mercury, cadmium, lead, arsenic, and other heavy metals that may be in the lake sediments. This is particularly a concern for lakes like Waughop that are in the Asarco fallout area.
2020 Result
The immediate result was clarification of the water in Waughop Lake. The expectation was that the native aquatic vegetation in the lake would respond with renewed growth. This did not happen and the migratory aquatic plant feeding diving duck population did not return to the lake during the 2020-2021fall and winter season.
2021 Result
In the spring 2021 the lake’s water clarity plummeted as it experienced an algal bloom comprised of a species of green algae (Coelastrum) that typically inhabit nutrient rich ponds. Aquatic plant growth did not occur. The frog and turtle population disappeared from the lake as did its eagle and osprey. In the late summer the lake experienced a relatively mild but noticeable harmful cyanobacteria bloom.
2022 Result
This spring the water clarity again plummeted as it experiencing an algal bloom comprised of a species of green algae (Chlorella) that typically inhabit sewage treatment ponds. The effect of this bloom is as noted in the below picture.
As a result of the photosynthesis activity of this Chlorella bloom the pH in the lake hovers in the vicinity of a pH of 9.3 to 9.8 which is far above Ecology’s water quality standard upper limit of 8.5 for the protection of aquatic life. At this pH the insoluble aluminum hydroxide that lies on the bottom of the lake becomes a toxic soluble form of aluminum. To compound this situation is the fact that the lake is also polluted with high concentrations of alum treatment induced sodium and sulfate ions. Their concentration has materially changed the chemical composition of Waughop Lake’s low mineral concentration to high mineral concentration water. Furthermore, the sulfate ions are being reduced in anoxic bottom water and sediment to sulfide ions forming very toxic hydrogen sulfide.
Conclusion
The City of Lakewood Council’s authorized, Ecology permitted, TetraTech prescribed and HAB Aquatic Solutions’ March and July 2020 40 mg Al/L alum applications (total 80 mg Al/L) has had the adverse environmental impact on Waughop Lake that was foretold by Don Russell to Paul Bucich, Lakewood City Council and Ecology back in 2019.
Waughop Lake….WHO are its Stewards ?
I am an informed, intelligent, and on this topic, a concerned citizen about Waughop Lake’s future. For the past 5 years I have, by choice, attempted to be a “CITIZEN” STEWARD for it.
I have been following the history and conversations concerning Waughop Lake since 2017, and since then have taken the following stewardship actions in support of Don’s, Tom’s, and others’ recommendations by providing:
• Multiple Comments in support of their logical and science-based recommendations in The Suburban Times
• Multiple Conversations thru the Concerned Citizens of Lakewood Facebook Page
• Emails to WA-state legislators asking for assistance from:
◦ Senator O’ban
◦ Representative Leavitt
◦ Representative Kilduff
• Emails to City of Lakewood Principals asking for a More Logical Solution:
◦ All Lakewood City Council members, including the Mayors
◦ John Caufield, Lakewood City Manager
◦ Paul Bucich, Lakewood Public Works Engineering Director
• Emails to Environmental Groups:
◦ Tahoma Audubon Society
◦ World Natural Resources Defense Council
• Letters to:
◦ Governor Jay Inslee, the “Environmental Governor”
◦ WA State Department of Ecology
◦ WA State Department of Fish & Wildlife
As you can see, I am very-much vested with what has and will happen to Waughop Lake and it grieves me much to see what has become of this body of water that BELONGS TO THE CITIZENS OF LAKEWOOD & WA STATE !!
And….even though all of these efforts have been unsuccessful, I STILL TRULY BELIEVE THE RIGHT THING NEEDS TO BE DONE!
I am ESPECIALLY aggrieved by the COMPLETE lack of cooperation from our governmental representatives as well as City and State employees who have failed in their important roles as Waughop Lake’s PRIMARY Stewards.
AS A CONCERNED CITIZEN, I am tired of being ignored by A L L LEVELS OF WA STATE GOVERNMENT, including the Governor’s office (!!), and so are two other expert and vocal Waughop Lake Stewards: Tom McClellan and Don Russell.
Tom and Don are both, long-time, VOLUNTEER Waughop Lake Water Quality Monitors, who since 2008 worked thousands of hours, along with other experts (including Ecology PhD s) trying to prevent the demise of Waughop Lake. Yet, like me, their efforts have been WHOLLY IGNORED by Local and State employees and governing individuals, in particular:
• WA State Department of Ecology (who approved the Alum Chemical application to Waughop Lake
• City of Lakewood (who issued a contract to apply a LETHAL Dosage of Alum).
Both of these entities were forewarned, in writing….MULTIPLE times by Tom, Don, myself, and many other informed citizens, about the adverse environmental impact that the Alum Treatments would have on the lake if permitted and applied.
The last warning, PRE-treatment, was posted in The Suburban Times on 22 JUL 219 (as shown in Don’s Letter above).
And, as you can see in the Green-Watered photo in Don & Tom’s Letter…..T H I S is the result of THE FAILURE of our Governmental (and their employees) to perform their responsibilities as Waughop Lake Stewards.
Stewards? REALLY?
FYI….Don sampled this green crud, running several tests on it (down to the 45 micron level….1 micron = 1/25,000 of an inch) and, initially, even he could not determine what the green crud was ! He also measured the pH level of the water and it was at the time 9.8….Alkaline….almost the same as Household Bleach (pH of 10) ! Eventually, as explained in their letter above, he discovered what that Green stuff was….a fast-growing algae which is the result of a toxic mix of chemicals approved by our so-called Waughop Lake stewards.
Hey….government stewards……thank you VERY much!
Don & Tom, in this latest letter have more than amply explained how this happened.
WHY it happened comes under a simple word……….umbrage.
What is “umbrage”? By definition it means, “an emotional response to or an emotional state resulting from a slight or indignity, often perceived. Umbrage may suggest hurt pride, resentment, or suspicion of another’s motives.”
As we all know, the governing folk & far-too-many of their employees have determined they ALWAYS know what is “best” for the “citizens”, who are basically ignorant folk…………….And, when those so-called ignorant folk question their decisions….umbrage rears its ugly head. HOW DARE YOU………………………………..!!!!!!
We have so-called “leaders” who are, in my opinion, of lesser character who cannot admit they are wrong AND either ignore or defame (in the meanest terms) those people who, in all good faith, character, and expertise told the unmitigated truth (a.k.a., SCIENCE).
Yup….that’s the kind of people that are running OUR government. To admit one is wrong takes courage, plain and simple, and it is abundantly evident that, at all levels, in WA State it is lacking.
And, importantly, what has this umbrage caused with regards to the impact on Ft Steilacoom Park Wildlife? You know….this thing called the…….ENVIRONMENT !!
Following the initial treatments, my wife (Jen) and I saw Waughop Lake became crystal clear, and there were, initially, no more cyanobacteria blooms. But….as time went by, the park’s wildlife, particularly around the lake, started to disappear:
Essentially, Tetra Tech has done a marvelous job of eliminating wildlife at the lake….in the past Jen and I, who frequent the lake often (we live 1,944 ft from its Southern-most access point), and used to:
• see turtles basking on logs.
• hear frogs in the evening;
• observe water lilies;
• watch the aquatic, plant-eating waterfowl during all seasons, in their hundreds, diving or skimming for food;
• be amazed at the pair of Eagles and Osprey flying over the lake and diving for food….waterfowl and fish.
This March all we saw of waterfowl were 3 Mallards, a couple of Canada Geese, and 6-8 other waterfowl, listlessly floating about 50 meters from the West-side of the lake.
Prior to 2020 (before the Alum Treatments), we have seen hundreds of waterfowl, frequently at all times of the year (i.e., Golden Eye, Buffle Heads, Wood Ducks, Pintails, Grebe, Northern Shoveler, etc.) like we currently see in other Lakewood Lakes….NOT ANY MORE !! Even the seagulls have abandoned the lake!
And…what of the lake’s piscatorial pursuits…fish? According to WA Dept of Fish & wildlife’s web page, “Waughop Lake is open year-round and offers good harvest opportunity for hatchery rainbow trout. Waughop Lake also supports naturally reproducing populations of large-mouth bass, black crappie, yellow perch, and brown bullhead catfish.”
Methinks NOT, with water that has a pH similar to Bleach. If some fish have survived…who would eat them anyway?
You know….we have also NOT seen OTHER wildlife, nor evidence of same (i.e., skat) like deer & rabbits, and for that matter….Coyote. Likely because the drinking water is gone. Yet, signage that identifies non-existing animal life are still posted.
What next? Another Alum treatment sometime this Spring? Go ahead all of you so-called Stewards of Waughop Lake….do your thing.
Will that be the CORRECT Stewardship?
NOPE !!
Is there any entity that can sue the city council for criminal neglect. I know it is almost impossible to get elected officials to be held accountable, but this would seem to be a slam dunk.
There has to be an environmental organization that would be willing to file a lawsuit against the entities that have caused this problem. Unfortunately, the City would have to defend itself using our tax dollars. Winner? None!
Welcome opportunity to present new data around natural solutions for hyper eutrophic water. My company is currently testing ability to prevent hypoxic status that currently results in methane emission from such water. Significant greenhouse gas reduction, and corresponding carbon credit, is possible but quantification of current emissions must be monitored to develop impeccable baseline data.
I think it’s too late to fix any chemical imbalances in the water. The animals have deserted because of lack of water and their homes demolished from construction. Call it a push and pave it into a parking lot or skating rink.
All the city is interested in is filling their pockets with money and increasing the amount of bodies in the area for their functions. With that obviously said, add cement and use it. Any hope of returning the water to any reasonable level of toxicity is long gone.
The water fowl, animals and birds are long gone also. Progress has ruined it. Accept that and be grateful for the memories you have of seeing those creatures when you did. That’s what I have had to do, in combating the population explosion of traffic on the trails alongside my property. We can’t hold on to what we had. Just be rich in knowing that once upon a time, the lake, swamp, and woods were alive with all creatures, however great or small they were.
Follow the money.
This is very sad, no body home up stairs or down stairs. Now it sounds like the lake should be fenced off from everything, people, animals, wow. You guy’s tried, you didn’t fail, the decision maker’s failed, now its on them. Now its turning into a cess pool, toxic waste water, a serious danger to everything, darn shame to hear this, again you guys did your best, thank you for your energy, time, and hero efforts. Invite the group that didn’t want to follow good science down for a drink of cool Waughop lake water, I’m sure it will be fine, they are in fact the ones that decided to go there way, they seem to know more than the experts in this field!!
Pretty sad. I walk my dog around the lake and it is all I can do to keep him from jumping in. He (and I) don’t understand why this was allowed to happen. It seems govt, at most levels, no longer serve the people forced to financially support them. Politicians are unwilling to make the tough decisions and just go with the route of least resistance.
At first glance, I’m thinking dredge, but what do I know?This type of frustration is why I bought a property outside of the city.
I won’t say where, but it was once an inland sea bottom.
The climate has changed much over millenia, but naturally.
Remnants of past civilizations remain.
I say let the cities create and live in their own chemical and digital soup.
Let them mandate themselves into a homogenous population where no one moves faster than the slowest amongst them.
Draw a border around it and say, “what is in that circle is yours to legislate – what is outside that circle is ours”.
We will feed and water you and provide electricity for your cable box and modem.
I was told: an ex is a has-been, and a spurt (sp) is a drip under pressure. You can keep your experts, and we will figure things out on our own.
Of course I am exagerating somewhat, but as we are so hopelessly divided on so many levels these days, that starts to make sense.
Let’s invite Lakewoods Council members & other relevant officials to take a SWIM in their mess!! Despicable!!
Everyone knows that the answer is to dredge the lake. However, the City just doesn’t have the money. This group of “experts” is one side of the story. Where they lack knowledge and credibility is on the costs for dredging the lake, the assumption that someone would pay for the material (not happening), and that they presume funds for this are available within current City coffers.
Public land means prevailing wage. This thing will cost eight figures to dredge and dispose of the material. After they dredge, the material needs to dry on site prior to haul. It’s going to shut down the park for a while. The funds will need to be bonded through a property tax increase (already paying too much for schools, fire, library, county, state, city etc.). All so a pond polluted by the state can be restored? That’s not a popular decision. However, go ahead and keep blaming the Council who had no choice in this other than to do nothing. The best thing that they could have done was to continue to leave it alone. Not treat the darn thing. However, that’s not how government seems to work these days.