Kira Erickson reports from the Island County Commissioners work session of November 2, 2022.
Island County officials are searching for ways to deal with one of the more subtler aspects of climate change.
The topic of toxic blue-green algae surfaced during a recent county commissioners’ work session. Commissioner Melanie Bacon explained that algae blooms are a persistent problem in the lakes of Whidbey Island but are most prominent in Lone Lake. The blooms are harmful to animals and people.
They Said It
“The issue for me is that as we continue to have warmer summers that last longer, it’s going to become more and more a problem for all the lakes in the state,” [Bacon] said, adding that the state legislature should identify dealing with the blue-green algae as a climate mitigation action.
Bacon said she had heard of some deer on Lone Lake that died, presumably from algae poisoning. She also said she had heard from a concerned citizen about a man that was fishing at Lone Lake while his child swam in the water.
Commissioner Janet St. Clair said she liked that Bacon was thinking of the issue in terms of climate resiliency. She also spoke about the importance of getting state and federal support to rural counties.
