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SUMMER IS HERE! 2008 GREEN LAKE MILK CARTON DERBY KICKS OFF SEAFAIR JULY 5

Sponsored by Allstate Insurance Company, the July 5 Green Lake Milk Carton Races will feature nearly 100 crazy craft boats of all shapes and sizes competing for $10,000 in prizes. On-shore activities include tethered hot-air balloon rides at lower Woodland, a Children's Show at noon, Sea Gals signing autographs, pig petting and a bounce house, with plenty of food lining the shore. See the Seafair web site for more. Water quality is key to the enjoyment of Green Lake's popular activities, and the water is clean and clear, thanks to the alum treatment. (Pictures by Kristina Stewart, Gayle Garman.)

SEATTLE PARKS AND RECREATION STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN PUBLIC TESTIMONY INVITED AT JUNE 26 MEETING

The Park Board met on Thursday, June 26 in the Park Board Room, 100 Dexter Ave. N (the Parks administration building in Denny Park). The agenda included public testimony on the draft Strategic Action Plan. The finalized version will be available on the Park Board web site.

When community input was requested on the Stategic Action Plan, Friends of Greenlake submitted a letter to new Parks Superintendent Timothy Gallagher asking for a consolidation of responsibility for the diverse aspects of Green Lake management currently scattered among city, county, and state entities. The 2007 Annual Report can be viewed online. More information is available online at the Seattle Parks and Recreation website.

REPORT TOXIC BLUE-GREEN ALGAE BLOOMS


Toxic blue-green algae looks pea-green in this Feb. 2008 Green Lake photo.

The Washington Dept of Ecology has started a program to test blue-green algae blooms for toxicity. Any blooms in Green Lake should be reported so they can be recorded and tested. The bloom usually looks pea-green, and can be scum or filaments or small spheres. As the cells die, they can release pigment that is a striking blue, as seen in the photo below. Digital photos help document the bloom and can determine whether to sample. Contact Gayle Garman/Richard Fleming (206-525-1974), Sally Abella (206-296-8382, or Tricia Shoblom (425-649-7288) to report a bloom.


Dec. 2007 close-up photo of the toxic blue-green algae in Green Lake!

The 2007 bloom was sampled by the County Dept. of Natural Resources and was predominantly Anabaena flos-aquiae, which can produce a neurotoxin. Shoreline accumulations also were seen Jan. and Feb. 2008. The blue-greens float to the surface, are pushed around the lake by the wind, then accumulate at the shoreline. The toxin may persist in the water a week or more after the bloom. The best way to minimize possible animal poisonings by the blooms is to keep animals away from the affected waters.

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©2008 Friends of Green Lake
PO Box 30544, Seattle, WA 98113

Webmaster - Ellen Hewitt
Updated August 11, 2008

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