Dear Members,

I am pleased to announce that the Sudden Valley Community Association and Whatcom County Public Works will be partnering to make improvements in water quality for Lake Whatcom. The preliminary plan is for Public Works to assist SVCA in identifying projects, Capital improvement or Maintenance, that present an opportunity to improve or preserve water quality. The exciting news is that Whatcom County is not only committing to assist SVCA in identifying improvement areas, but will also be potentially supplying materials for completion, or contributing funds for specific portions of SVCA’s project that involve the water quality component. This collaboration will not only provide improved resources for SVCA, but also has the potential to save the Association thousands of dollars in project completion.

This unprecedented partnership is the first of its kind in Whatcom County and will be addressing impacts to the water shed, including the minimalization of phosphors entering Lake Whatcom, as one example.

The projects identified will be comprehensive and will address legacy issues with storm water runoff, etc. The project scope would determine how to start to address culverts, ditches and swales along with evaluation and possible change to media filter vaults in certain locations. By addressing the storm water runoff as a system and not just individual components, both Whatcom County and Sudden Valley as partners can establish a path forward in a much more comprehensive manner. Additionally, it will enable a maintenance plan to be implemented that will continue to ensure the integrity of the system as well as provide a reliable means to forecast future budgets and future capital projects.

The specific projects and their scopes will be identified and shared with the Community as they become known. We believe that the combining of public and private resources will allow both to come together and make a real difference in the quality of the drinking water in Lake Whatcom, and that this partnership will establish that both Whatcom County and Sudden Valley are demonstrating in a visible and tangible example of what stewardship for the environment should look like.

Please feel free to contact my office at gm@suddenvalley.com or 360-746-8436 with any questions.

In Service to our Community,

Joe Acla, PGA, CMCA, AMS

General Manager