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CITY OF LAKE STEVENS
The 'I Love Lake' Campaign
Celebrating and Protecting the Lake we all Love
The I Love Lake Campaign promotes the positive actions homeowners can take to prevent algal blooms. Unfortunately, Lake Stevens has high levels of phosphorus- a natural nutrient that all plants need to grow. However, in excess, it causes problematic algal blooms.
From the old aerator to the current alum treatments, our partners at the City of Lake Stevens and Snohomish County have worked together to manage algae so that people can safely recreate and enjoy a clean, clear lake. While the current alum treatments are effective in temporarily reducing algal blooms, they are costly, and only serve as a short-term solution. We can't solve the algae issue unless we tackle the sources of phosphorus, and it takes each of us doing our part every day. The good news- there are many small steps we can each take that make a difference!
Causes of Algae Blooms:
Excessive or improper application of fertilizer that contains phosphorus.
Fecals - water fowl (especially where they are habitually fed), faulty septic systems, and pet waste.
Lawn clippings dumped into ditches or streams.
Soap from home car washing.
Exposed soil, which can wash into water bodies with storms.
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Landscaping the edge of your property can reduce stormwater runoff and algal blooms while adding privacy, visual interest, and year-round color!
Create privacy while maintaining waterfront view
Reduce shoreline erosion
Diffuse noise pollution
Read more
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Lake Stevens is the largest natural lake in Snohomish County. In 1994 an aerator system was installed to maintain the required dissolved oxygen levels in the bottom waters of the lake (the hypolimnion) to sustain iron and phosphorus bonding during months when oxygen levels at the lake bottom dropped.
Phosphorus is essential for plant and animal life in an aquatic ecosystem, however an excess of this nutrient acts as a fertilizer and stimulates the growth of algae.
Webinars
Cascade Award - Lake Friendly Gardening Recognition
If you’re proud of your own lake-friendly yard or know someone who is, please submit their names for the Cascade Award! All residents of the city of Lake Stevens are eligible, you don’t need to live on the lake’s edge to qualify. We ALL play a role in the health of our lake!
The Cascade Award honors those who have a beautiful, sustainable, lake-friendly garden or landscape in the City of Lake Stevens. Our winner for 2024 was Owen Todd!
Congratulations to Owen Todd, our 2024 Cascade Award Winner.
