Pierce County is home to more than 100 lakes. From swimming to our daily cup of coffee, lakes and reservoirs play a central role in our lives. July is great time to get out and celebrate your local lake. Here are several ways to celebrate our local lakes: 

Lake Kapowsin Appreciation Day
Lake Kapowsin Appreciation Day will be celebrated on Saturday, July 7 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the WDFW Boat launch on Lake Kapowsin located at 29405 Orville Rd E, Graham, WA 98338. Lake Kapowsin is the first freshwater aquatic reserve in Washington and is a unique local treasure. Lot’s of fun activities for all ages are planned to highlight the history of the lake, water safety, fishing, and other critters in the lake. 

National Secchi Dip-In
The National Secchi Dip-in is an annual data-gathering event that takes place during Lakes Appreciation Month demonstrating the value of citizen gathered data. In July, volunteers measure transparency at their monitoring sites using either a secchi disk (lakes) or a turbidity test kit (streams), and the data is submitted to the Secchi Dip-In website. The data provides a comprehensive snapshot of water transparency and how it varies according to regional geology and land use. Contact Isabel at isabelr@piercecd.org to learn how to participate in the Dip-In.

Lake Monitoring
Pierce Conservation District staff manages a volunteer lake monitoring program on several lakes in Lakewood (American, Gravelly, Louise, Steilacoom, and Waughop); two lakes in Bonney Lake (Bonney and Debra Jane) in Bonney Lake; and Milton (Surprise Lake). If you live on or near one of these lakes and want to participate in monitoring contact Isabel at isabelr@piercecd.org. We have recently added the 2017 annual lake reports for our volunteer monitored lakes. They are organized by jurisdiction and can be found on the PCD lake monitoring website. Here is the link: www.piercecd.org/249/Lake-Monitoring.

Toxic Algae Workshops
Tacoma Pierce County Health Department is offering four free toxic algae workshops – come learn:

• What toxic algae look like and how they are different from aquatic plants
• How to identify toxic algae and potential risks
• Steps you can take to protect your family and pets
• Things you can do to protect water quality
• How to become an Algae Watch Volunteer

Wednesday, June 6, 6-7:30pm
Sprinker Recreation Center, Alder Room
14824 C St S, Tacoma

Wednesday, June 13, 6-7:30pm
NW Trek
11610 Trek Dr E, Eatonville

Wednesday, June 20, 6-7:30pm
Bonney Lake Senior Center, Social Hall
19304 Bonney Lk Blvd, Bonney Lake

Questions or more information, contact Lindsay Tuttle at ltuttle@tpchd.org or (253) 798-3530.