Echo Lake Neighborhood Association
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The map on the right shows                                                           WATERSHED

the Echo Lake Watershed;

e.g., the sources and flow

of water around the lake. 

The map is tilted somewhat

to show it all.  (On the face

of a clock, "north" would lie

at about 11.)

 

If you follow the blue lines, you will see that three lakes are involved here.  Echo Lake on the south and Halls Lake on the north both drain into Lake Ballinger, toward the center. 

 

All waters leave that area via

McAleer Creek, flowing from

Lake Ballinger toward the southeast. Along the way, McAleer Creek picks up waters from other sources. Eventually all the surface water flows into Lake Washington.


All the "streams" in Echo Lake were put underground, in culverts, many years ago.  On the map, one stream flows into Echo Lake from the west, going under Aurora.  The outlet is next to the small beach area in Echo Lake Park.  It goes directly into an underground culvert which goes to the north and then to the east, with a short jog to the north to flow into Lake Ballinger.  The third "stream" is near the freeway in the Northridge area.  The original streambed is now a twisting street known locally as "The Windey".  It turns to the east under 200th, goes under the freeway and at some point goes aboveground to flow into McAleer Creek.


In 2009 a consortium of cities and government agencies formed as the Lake Ballinger Watershed group with the goal of solving flooding and pollution problems in Lake Ballinger and McAleer Creek.  The draft plan and other documents are available online:

http://www.cityoflfp.com/city/engineering/stormwater/LBal-McACreek.html


In addition, a volunteer group called Streamkeepers monitors the health of the streams flowing through Lake Forest Park into Lake Washington.  http://lfpstreamkeepers.org/


 

Health of Lakes
 
Volunteers have been testing the quality of the water in Echo Lake for many years.  The lake has remained substantially healthy, with wildlife and clear, pure water.
 
It is essential that no unwanted chemicals or debris enter into the surface waters or the lake itself.  For this reason, everyone must use natural, biodegradable and nontoxic products for cleaning, yard care, and washing cars. 
 
 
 
 
Water testing - volunteers and history
Barbara Guthrie
Sampling of water
Results:  KC webpage
Toxics coalition Rika Cecil
 
 
 
Drainage and flooding

Echo Lake is fed by three natural springs, as well as the run-off from the area around the lake.  The outlet is an underground culvert at the north end of the lake which leads to Lake Ballinger.  This outlet came become clogged with leaves and debris which need to be cleared periodically.
New projects around the lake, such as the Gateway development and the Sky Nursery project, have contributed to the health of the lake, as water from these sites is now filtered.  When the Aurora Corridor Project is complete, the water from the Park 'n Ride and Aurora will be filtered before it enters the lake.