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Minutes for October 16, 2007 Meeting

October 16, 2007

Meeting Minutes
October 16 2007

Attendees:
Shane and Tracy Morris (new friends)
Shane StevensonTracy MorrisBrian DeLucaRichard FlemingEllen HewittKaren SchurrKris FullerMarcia NormanGayle Garman

  1. Treasurers Report ( Mary Lou Knox is away) No change in checking or savings.
  2. Web Master Report by Ellen Hewitt
    The theme is now autumn pictures taken by Karen, and by Ellen’s son, Paul. Ellen e-mailed Martin. Muller, who used to live near the lake, and asked for a new story about autumn/winter birds. Last year he wrote a story on widgeons for us.

  3. T-Shirt Report by Linda Noble
    No t-shirt report this month. A few shirts have sold at Green Lake retailers and the Bed & Breakfast.
  4. Monitoring by Richard Fleming
    1. We have just begun a new water year ( a rainy winter is predicted)
    2. Secchi disk report – Transparency was deep all summer with a small decrease in September. Transparency level then deepened again. (3.5 meters) Sally Abella runs the Metro Small Lake Stewardship Program and will report at the January 15 meeting on the nutrient data.
    3. A Seattle Post Intelligencer reporter, Susan Burch, contacted FOGL regarding the water being removed at the VitaMilk Dairy site. The concern was whether the water being pumped out was pumped into the lake or could otherwise affect the lake.
  5. 501(c )3 Report
    1. The filing would require a onetime $300.00 payment to the IRS.
    2. If FOGL had 501(c)3 status, donors could deduct donations from federal taxes.
    3. Ellen moved that we authorize paying the fee and pursuing 501(c)3 status. The motion was seconded by Kris, and a vote was taken. All approved the fee payment.
  6. Richard and Gayle were contacted by Pitch & Put golf course at south end of the Lake. The golf course was going to apply a fungicide called pentachloronitrobenzene (PCNB) to the greens. Pitch & Putt has been told by Seattle Parks and Recreation that they should report fertilizer and fungicide use to Friends of Green Lake.
  7. Additional monitoring report – Green Lake algae is checked only twice a year as part of the small lakes monitoring program. Gayle asked METRO if they could analyze more samples, if FOGL collected them. METRO sends these samples to an outside laboratory, and pays $85.00 per sample. FOGL would like to see sampling and analysis done six times over the course of the summer. Green algae needs both phosphorous and nitrogen to grow. Bluegreen algae/bacteria, in contrast, can take nitrogen from the air if phosphorous is available in the water. The 2003 Alum Report noted high fecal coliform counts at the east swimming beach. The King County Department of Natural Resources website that reports bacteria counts for swimming beaches in the city shows that only one beach at Green Lake is monitored, and currently it is the west beach. It appears all other beaches in city parks are monitored. A discussion followed, and it was decided that we should write to the city requesting monitoring done at both beaches.

    Karen suggested that we have a shoreline clean-up to remove the milfoil that has accumulated in the embayment north of the paddleboat rental.

Action items:

Richard is working with Rebecca Timson of Billings Middle School on the monitoring done by the students. He will report on their findings later ( He meets with Rebecca on 10/29/07). Gayle Garman will send letters to the Department of Health and to the Seattle Parks Department about monitoring both swimming beaches. Karen will organize a shoreline cleanup.

The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.