The foam that has recently accumulated along the shore of Lake Washington is a by-product of the decomposition of
organic material that is naturally produced in the lake. When the organic materials decompose, they release organic
compounds into the water, reducing the surface tension. Agitated by the wind, this creates foam and it accumulates on
the down wind shore.
The following map shows the locations of current swimming beach sampling
stations in King County. These stations are monitored through the Lakes
Monitoring Program. To view the current bacteria and temperature data, either
click on the map or select from the list of beaches. You can also view
plots of bacteria data . Units of bacteria data are cfu/100mL. To view
historical data and trends, view our archived
bacteria and temperature data pages. Current beach closures, if
any, are listed
in the left-hand
column on
this page.
View presentations on water quality topics given by King County staff on the
Science Seminar Web site.
Click a point on this Map
to view data for an individual beach, or follow
one of the links in the list of beaches
For questions about the major lakes monitoring program, please
contact Jonathan Frodge.
For questions about the Department of Natural Resources and Parks
Website, please contact Fred Bentler,
webmaster.
Links to external sites do not constitute endorsements by
King County.
By visiting this and other King County web pages,
you expressly agree to be bound by terms and conditions of the site. The details.
