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Lake Sawyer

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Vital Statistics

Watershed Area 8120 acres
Lake surface area 279 acres
Maximum depth 58 feet
Mean depth 26 feet
Public Park Yes
Boat Ramp Yes, outboard restriction
Fish Present stocked rainbow, bass

Overview

Volunteer monitoring began at Lake Sawyer in the 1980s and has continued, with small gaps, through 2008. The data indicate this city lake (Black Diamond) is very lightly colored and currently low to moderate in primary productivity (oligotrophic - mesotrophic) with very good water quality. Productivity appears to have stabilized and remained steady since 1998.

Profile data show thermal stratification is stable through summer, and sedimentary phosphorus release adds a small amount to deep water concentrations. Nitrogen to phosphorus ratios in the upper water during summer are above 20:1, which generally favors other algal species over bluegreens.

Lake Sawyer has a public access boat launch and a history of Eurasian watermilfoil infestation that has not been controlled. Residents should watch aquatic plants growing nearshore for other noxious weeds as well.

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Maps

bathymetric map lake watershed map
This bathymetric map shows contour lines of equal depth, similar to a topographic map would for mountains and valleys This map shows the area of the watershed relative to the area of the lake. Generally speaking, the larger a watershed is relative to a lake, the greater the influence land use practices on lake water quality

Click image to enlarge

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Water Quality Data  

Through a combination of efforts by volunteer lake monitors and King County staff, data relating to physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the lake have been collected for most lakes. The King County Lake Stewardship Program analyzes data to track long-term water quality trends in small lakes in western King County.

View or Download Data
Use this tool to view or download data from the lake in tabular format. You can define date ranges and select which parameters to view or download.

Chart Data
Use the charting tool to look at graphs showing single parameters for a single water year at a time.

Five year water quality trends
A common method of tracking water quality trends in lakes is by calculating the “trophic state index” (TSI) (Carlson, 1977). TSI indicators predict the biological productivity of the lake based on water clarity (Secchi) and concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and chlorophyll a (Chlor).

The average of these three TSI indicators during the growing season can be used to place lakes in one of three broad categories:
<40 = oligotrophic (low productivity),
40 to 50 = mesotrophic (moderate productivity)
>50 = eutrophic (highly productive).

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Related Links

Lake Sawyer Community Club

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For questions about the Lake Stewardship Program or the contents of this page, please contact Sally Abella, 206-296-8382.

For questions about the
Water and Land Resources Web Site,
please contact
Fred Bentler, webmaster.

Updated: August 8, 2008

Related Information:

Lake Topics


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