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Consultants: sediment releases, not creek flow, drive summer phosphorus spikes at Weiser Lake
Summary
Consultants presenting to Whatcom County said data collected from May 2023 through mid‑April 2024 indicate Weiser Lake’s summer phosphorus spikes come mainly from internal loading — phosphorus released from lake sediments — while nitrogen inputs come largely from the watershed.
Consultants presenting to Whatcom County said data collected from May 2023 through mid‑April 2024 indicate that Weiser Lake’s summer spikes in phosphorus are driven mainly by internal loading — phosphorus released from the lake’s sediments — rather than by inflow from Cougar Creek.
The finding matters because high phosphorus concentrations feed algal and cyanobacterial blooms, which can reduce water clarity, release odors and toxins, and affect recreational use. The consultant team said the lake’s summer total phosphorus is many times higher than the roughly 20 micrograms per liter target commonly used to limit nuisance algae.
Mark Rosenkrantz, a consultant with Aquatic Insight, described monitoring at two stations — WL1 (West Basin, shallow) and WL2 (East Basin, deeper) — and at the…
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