7.1   King County operates a large scale monitoring programme over their major lakes, of which Lake Washington is just one.

7.2   The King County website enables readers to view online or download a range of parameters relating to water quality which are regularly measured.  Fig. 7.3 shows the range of data and dates that can be selected and Fig. 7.4 gives an illustration of the type of graph that can be obtained, in this case showing nutrient loading over time.

(From the King County Website)

"Mission

Steward, enhance and acquire parks to inspire healthy communities.

Vision

Parks, trails, and natural lands for all, sustained with the cooperative efforts of our community.

Values

Regional and Rural Services: Provide park and recreation assets that serve the county-wide population, as well as communities in rural unincorporated King County.

Safety: Ensure that parks, trails and recreation facilities are safe for all users.

Partnerships: Pursue partnerships with public, private, and non-profit entities that leverage public dollars, enhance public recreation opportunities, and involve King County residents in the stewardship of King County’s open space and recreation assets.

Entrepreneurial: Generate revenue and contribute to the financial sustainability of agency operations.

Conservation: Protect and enhance the ecological values of open space assets, including fish and wildlife habitat, native biodiversity, critical areas, and air and water quality.

Equity: Strive to provide public open spaces and recreation opportunities that maximize accessibility and are equitably distributed.

Efficiency: Maximize the value of public dollars through sensible cost reduction strategies while respecting best environmental management practices."

7.9   The stories of Lake Washington and Lake Annecy and the people who  have led the work there, are remarkable not just in the astonishing similarity of their histories but also in the similarity of their current achievements and future aspirations. Both are an inspiration for a world where citizens and countries appear increasingly divided against each other rather than united in common cause, where the need to protect the environment from the depredations of industry and urban development appears to be increasingly denied, and where,  paradoxically, in an information-rich culture, the influence of science and reason appears to hold increasingly less sway with public opinion.

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