Kremen, Pike: Fixing Lake Whatcom costly, long process

Phosphorus chokes oxygen out of the lake, and Lake Whatcom is considered an impaired water body because oxygen levels are below state water quality standards.

Hood said that the state and local governments "don't need to chew up 95 percent of those roads, roofs and lawns" that send run-off into the lake.

"What we need to do is make sure that 95 percent of the run-off from those roads, roofs and lawns acts like it came from a forest," he said.

Asked how to pay for programs and solutions to help protect the lake, Kremen said that it would be "nice" if the federal and state governments would fund mandates they've placed on local municipalities to protect water quality. He said, however, that he was doubtful at this point that he'd get much help due to the sluggish U.S. economy.

"It will have to be up to the community," Kremen said, adding that generating revenue might mean "fees, or a tax or some way of generating enough money to meet these goals or directives."

When he first saw Ecology's report, Kremen said he and his staff were concerned.

"It was just daunting and seemed futile," he said.

Kremen and Pike also were asked by a community member if they would consider either reducing or reallocating funds to and from other government programs in order to help protect the lake. The audience member suggested that a lot of money might come from parks funding.

"What I don't want to do is pit folks" against each other, Pike told the audience. "It shouldn't be either/or."

Kremen said he favored a dedicated source of funding that can only be spent on water-quality issues.

Pike also said that the community needed to pitch in more, and that should start with the government helping to educate the public on what the issues surrounding the lake are.

"Retrofitting is not always expensive," he said. "It's just a matter of getting people to do it."