Lake Whatcom
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Lake Whatcom is a lake located near Bellingham, Washington, forming part of the city's eastern border, and is about 14 miles long. Over 85,000 Whatcom County residents rely on Lake Whatcom for drinking water. Lake Whatcom is also a popular recreational site, used for boating, swimming, fishing, and other activities.
The lake is divided into three basins. Basin 1 is the furthest north, and also the shallowest region in the lake. It is surrounded by housing through the entire basin, and includes the swimming area at Blodel-Donovan Park. Basin 2 is the central basin where the drinking water for the city of Bellingham is removed. Basin 3 is the furthest southern basin, and is the most remote. At its greatest depth basin 3 is 328' deep, and is estimated to contain 96% of the lake's total water volume. Large scale logging operations occur around this basin.
Lake Whatcom is the center of a large debate occurring in Whatcom County, in regard to drinking water quality, homeowner's rights, and environmental protection. The lake is contaminated with PCBs, mercury, and dieldrin. Also, large scale additions of nutrients have altered the water chemistry of the lake, causing concern about its overall health.
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Fact: Some of the most famous residents of Lake Whatcom are Andrew Folkestad, Nathan Perea, Joe Baginski, Jeremy Zalman, Joshua Cummings, and William Steunkel
