lake – All Things Lake Chelan

Phil long, director of the Lake Chelan Research Institute honored for his work research on Lake Chelan

by Richard Uhlhorn

Dr. Phil Long is the 2026 recipient of the Secchi Disk Award. This award is presented annually and recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution to the science, management, or protection of lakes in Washington or Idaho.

Mike Kaputa, Chelan County Natural Resources Director recommended the award and said, “Dr. Phil Long has single-handedly brought together well-regarded scientists,local community leaders, and volunteers to advance the science and application of water-quality practices at Lake Chelan,” Kaputa said. “Lake Chelan is a jewel of Washington and now has several related water-quality science and protection efforts in place, with many more to come because of Phil’s efforts.”

“I am humbled to receive this award when I consider the contributions of previous recipients,” Long said. “I am grateful to my colleagues; to organizations such as the Chelan County Public Utility District; and to the individuals who donate to LCRI or volunteer their time. Lake Chelan is vastly understudied compared with other highly valued lakes. We are working to change that with growing support from individual donations and agency grants.”

**Lake Chelan was recently declared the cleanest lake in the United States.**

A little over 10 years ago, the Lake Chelan Research Institute was formed to study Lake Chelan and all of the facets of its pristine nature. Over that 10 years, the Institute has seen changes to its pristine waters.

The Institute has a much better understanding of the lake’s pristine condition from the shoreline to deeper waters. In the beginning, Phil Long, director, concentrated on measuring visibility, oxygen levels and other measurements from a number of stations in the lower Wapato basin, basically from the middle of the lake. This, over the 10 years has provided a large data base that ultimately will show changes in the lake’s quality.

The addition of a monitoring device at Sunset Marina is helping add to the base understanding of the year round changes to the lake and ultimately creating a long term look of these changes.

All of this monitoring of water quality has been accomplished by a group of volunteers who have offered their boats as a research platform for collecting data on a monthly basis. Most of the data collection points in the middle of the lake have shown little changes to water quality.

However, over the 10-year period, near-shore changes have been reported. Some lakeshore residents have noticed increasing algae growth on rocks, docks, and pilings which has shifted focus to the near shore health of the lake. In addition to algae growth which has consumed research time, the expansion of Eurasian milfoil and other plants has grown from a mere four acres to over 20 acres.

The Institute hired a commercial diving firm to employ DASH (Diver Assisted Suction Harvesting) to remove milfoil. The test program, while working, was found to be an extremely expensive method of removing milfoil.

**A diver sucks milfoil from the bottom of Lake Chelan.**

The number of priority concerns that have emerged from the monitoring are:

Potential spread and introduction of Invasive Species (AIS)
Stormwater runoff carrying orchard chemicals and other pollutants
Nutrient inputs and algae growth in the littoral zone
Pollution and sediment influx

The potential spread of an invasive species like the Quagga, Zebra or Golden Mussels has become a major priority for the Institute and its partners (Chelan County Natural Resource Department and the Department of Fish and Wildlife) with an AIS program to monitor vessels accessing the lake.

Nutrient inputs are also being studied to determine the causes. One major source of nutrient input to the lake is from over fertilizing lawns on the shoreline. It is also thought that the Canadian Geese population is also contributing to inputs.

Lake Chelan also has the highest concentration of DDT in the state which shows up in the Lake Trout population. The Department of Health has issued warnings regarding Lake Trout consumption. DDT enters the lake sediments from orchard drainage from when this herbicide was used years ago.

**Chelan High School Chelan Project Students**

Other programs initiated by the Lake Chelan Research Institute is the Restore the Beach project run by the Institute’s Anna Galipeau. Each spring volunteers come out to pick up garbage on the beach that has been deposited over the years.

**Anna collecting garbage during the Restore the Beach event.**

Long has also engaged the use of an underwater remote vehicle to study the lake’s geology. This project has discovered several interesting underwater slides.

The Institute is gaining support from universities and other organizations. Primary monetary support comes from the City of Chelan, Lake Chelan Reclamation District, Chelan County, Department of Ecology, National Park Service and Chelan County PUD.

Other organizations support the research with in-kind contributions.

Lake Chelan has the highest concentration of DDT in the Nation

Apple growers in the Lake Chelan Valley applied 80,000 kilograms of DDT to their orchards from the 40s to 70s. It is now leaching into the lake from drains, groundwater and streams.

by Richard Uhlhorn

DDT LOADING STUDY:
Clay Patmont, Anchor QEA, LLC, told the Watershed Planning Committee that Lake Chelan still has the highest concentration of DDT in the nation.

DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane), developed as the first of the modern synthetic insecticides in the 1940s, was used extensively in Lake Chelan Valley orchards from the 1940s to 70s. An estimated 80,000 kilograms (140,800 ibs.) of DDT was applied to some 12,000 acres over the years. “There was a lot of DDT applied,” said Patmont.

The Toxics Control Demonstration study in 2010 and 2021 found no DDT levels declining. The study sampled lake trout for DDT levels which was used to determine the level of DDT in the lake.

Sources of this contamination comes from ongoing leaching of the material in orchard soils to the lake from orchard drains, groundwater and creek drainages.

Patmont stated that natural recovery would not achieve risk reduction goals for at least 100 years, but directing drainages through wetlands (Dry Lake) could substantially reduce DDT loading by 70 to 95 percent.

With a $1.3 million dollar grant from the Department of Ecology, the plan is to 1. – characterize current DDT loading into the lake in 2025; construct a one to two acre prototype wetland in 2026; monitor the wetland’s effectiveness in 2027 and 2028; and if successful; expand wetland treatments in the entire basin where it was applied.

Quagga/Zebra Mussel concerns:
“It has never been more important for people to stay alert,” said Stephen Lesky. This comment came during a report on Quagga mussels being detected in the Columbia River Basin and the potential of this invasive species being introduced in Lake Chelan.

Multiple occurrences have been noted in the Twin Falls, Idaho area where 375 miles of river dumps into the Columbia River.

Quagga and Zebra mussels are species that can cause millions of dollar’s worth of damage if allowed to attach and grow in water passage ways, irrigation canals, dams and fish hatcheries. The economic impact is estimated at $100 million per year.

The Washington State Fish and Wildlife Service has five primary boat inspection stations for vessels crossing into the state. “We are trying to protect Washington waters,” said Bush.

Currently the state is free of quagga mussels. “When we find an occurrence there will be a rapid response.”

Stephen Lesky, manager of Lake Chelan’s boat inspection program, said, “We are seeing an increase on boats on Lake Chelan.” The Lake Chelan Boat Inspection Program is in its second year on a grant from the National Park Service. “People appreciate what we are doing with the program.”

**The economic risk of quagga or zebra mussels entering Washington waters is huge.**

“We are excited about what you are doing,” said Bush.

Bush described another major concern with zebra mussels that are showing up in moss balls being sold to pet stores. “There are 22 wholesalers that have received contaminated products in Washington. Ultimately, we know it is an ongoing problem.”

Fish and Wildlife has received $1.8 million in State funding and another $1.83 million in Federal funding to combat the potential influx of invasive species to Washington waterways. The WDFW Response Team has met with 27 retailers and are taking significant steps to stop the importation of zebra mussels in moss balls to pet stores. “We are planning for the worst case scenario.”

Water Quality – Phil Long

**Phil Long – Lake Chelan Research Institute**

“We had a busy summer,” said Long. “Things look fairly normal.” However there is ongoing concern with the algae growth on rocks and docks in the near shore areas of the Wapato Basin. The Lake Chelan Research Institute is hoping to identify the different species that are present.

**Phil Long captured this photo of periphyton growing in the Wapato Basin.**

Long stated that the Institute is in the second year of a three year study funded by the PUD. “This is not what you want growing on our shores and docks,” said Long.

Water rights:
Ecology continues to work with RH2 Engineers on water right applications and reported that seven more property owners have received their certificates. “We are moving forward.”

Round Table:

**Mike Kaputa – Chelan County Resources Department director.**

Fishery Forum… PUD will give an update in December

NPS is conducting temperature monitoring and creel surveys.

Mike Kaputa reported that the committee should have a report on the reintroduction of bull trout December. A draft manuscript has been circulated for peer review amongst the committee members.

The next meeting will be in December.

Fire agencies worried about fire spread towards Manson

by Richard Uhlhorn

At the last update on July 7, the Pioneer Fire has grown to almost 10,000 acres and Level 3 evacuations have been extended to Safety Harbor. UPDATE: 4 p.m., 7.8.24 – The Incident Command Team is taking over Manson’s Singleton Park as its next fire encampment.

Chelan Fire and Rescue Commissioner Russ Jones has been driving the Fire & Rescue boat in support of personnel working the fire. In a telephone conversation, Jones stated that a back burn operation went well until the down lake wind came up at 7 p.m. on Saturday evening. “It was one hell of a night,” stated Jones who was evacuating fire fighters from the Prince Creek and Canoe Creek locations. “You can’t really see the shoreline at night and then there is all the wood,” he added.

**The Pioneer Fire downsloped to the lake at Prince Creek. Photo by Stephanie Prehim – Chelan Fire and Rescue.**

Jones said he was really happy when the rescue evacuation operation was over at 1 a.m. “I’m really impressed with the firefighters,” Jones said. “They are dealing with heat, dust and smoke, but are really courteous and nice.”

**Firefighters watch the Pioneer Fire burn along the shores of Lake Chelan after being evacuated by Chelan Fire & Rescue personnel. Photo by Stephanie Prehim**

The lower valley should prepare itself for the next week of extreme heat. Jones said that this coming Wednesday afternoon there will be another down lake wind coming out of the west reaching up to 20 mph gusts.

The high temperatures and relatively low humidity will continue to be a contributing factor to increased fire behavior. Fire fighting crews continue to work on protecting structures, both private and public.

Crews continue to bolster the old 2001 Deer Pt. fire breaks all the way to the lake.

Manson Fire Chief Arnold Baker said the down lake wind the other night really screwed things up and he’s not optimistic about the next week. “As I said at the Manson Community meeting, my job is to plan for the worstcase scenario. I still think that’s where we are headed.”

“If the fire jumps the Coyote Ridge breaks it will jump all the others,” stated Baker. He went on to say the Incident Team is really supporting the efforts to protect Manson. “The are doing real legitimate work. We are integrated into the team efforts,” added Baker. “We are preparing to protect Manson.”

District 5 and District 7 are working together. “Brandon and I just finished a meeting with the team here at District 7.”

Smoke has become a regular occurrence in the Lake Chelan Valley, which could help keep daily temperatures a little lower, but not by much.

It is predicted that excessive temperatures will drive fire behavior and continue to grow the Pioneer Fire until the snow falls in November. The fire is currently burning in the old Rex Creek Fire boundary which has a lot of old deadfall, grasses, bushes and other flammable material. The Rex Creek Fire burned over 60,000 acres back in 2001.

Further south of the Rex Creek Fire boundary there is the remains of the Deer Point Fire which took place in 2002 and actually threatened the northern reaches of Manson.

Work is being undertaken to strengthen and open up the old fire breaks on the Grade Creek Road north and along Coyote Ridge to the lake.

Currently, there are 604 personnel on this fire with only 14% containment. Aerial water drops are also continuing non-stop during the daylight hours.

All Things Lake Chelan will continue to stay on top of this emerging story and keep its followers updated as more information comes in.