While the involved entities agree coordination is necessary to improve Vancouver Lake, exactly what they intend to do remains ambiguous. The Port of Ridgefield may become an additional stakeholder, as it is currently discussing a waterfront development along Lake River. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife monitors wildlife around the lake, the state Department of Natural Resources controls the lake bed, the state Department of Ecology has authority over the water, Clark County Parks manages a park at the lake, and the Port of Vancouver administers some of the lake’s resources. Yet it is unknown how this will be paid for.įriends of Vancouver Lake members say there’s another looming issue that makes restoring the lake more difficult: Which of the many entities that own a part of a lake is responsible for investing in its rehabilitation and maintenance? In April, the Legislature appropriated $330,000 to implement the Vancouver Lake Management Plan through June 2025, which is 7.5 percent of the $4.4 million proposed for the next two years, according to the draft. July 26, which will be included in its final report. The public may view the draft and submit comments to Clark County through 5 p.m. The group formed in 2019 to address the lake’s woes and restoration, essentially laying the foundation for its management plan. “Taken together, this report provides solid initial first steps toward the development of an implementable Comprehensive Lake Management Plan,” Ken Imse, board chair for nonprofit Friends of Vancouver Lake, wrote to the Clark County Council. Options to better manage the lake include constructing a flow control on Lake River, widening the existing flushing channel to increase inflows from the Columbia River or install floating wetlands to reduce nutrient loads uptake. It has stagnant water, the result of small connections to the Columbia River, Lake River and Burnt Bridge Creek. Its shallow depth, at most 5 feet in some areas, makes it easier for weeds and algae to flourish. Sun relentlessly beams onto the water’s roughly 2,600-acre surface. Shallow groundwater, though hidden, is the lake’s second source of pollution, which contains the same nutrients. The plan says the city of Vancouver and county must reduce nutrient inputs to the lake from septic and stormwater systems by expanding sanitary programs and replacing degraded infrastructure.ĭrainage from the city, homes and golf courses empties directly into a creek that flows into Vancouver Lake, carrying many nutrients - iron, nitrogen and phosphorus - that encourage weed, algae and bacterial growth. Previous efforts that temporarily improved the lake’s issues included dredging, installing a flushing channel and using herbicide to curb weed growth. The county hired Herrera Environmental Consultants to develop an adaptive Vancouver Lake Management Plan to guide both lake and watershed management. Clark County is inviting the public to comment on its long-term, 308-page solution to the toxic blue-green algae blooms and noxious plant growth that has plagued Vancouver Lake for years.
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