Cover Story

  July 2025

Whatcom Water Supply/Demand Imbalance

Time for Action by Eric Hirst and Fred Likkel Water is one of the most critical issues facing everyone in Whatcom County. We have a structure in place to manage our water resources, in the Watershed Management Board. But the … Continue reading

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  July 2025

Neighbors Offer Vision for Samish Crest

by Stevan Harrell Editor’s Note: Whatcom Watch has entered a cooperative agreement with Salish Current. When possible, we will share each other’s content. Salish Current, an online-only news organization, covers the North Sound area and Whatcom Watch mainly covers Whatcom … Continue reading

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  June 2025

Why Regenerate, Whatcom?

by David MacLeod The future can’t be predicted, but it can be envisioned and lovingly brought into being. – Donella Meadows, “Thinking in Systems, A Primer” If we can’t save the places where we live, how are we ever going … Continue reading

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  June 2025

Walking the Semiahmoo Spit

by Margaret Wild Semiahmoo is a “go to” place. It’s a milelong sandspit in the northwest corner of Washington state in the northwest corner of the country otherwise known as the “fourth corner” of the United States. The name Semiahmoo … Continue reading

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  May 2025

Slow and Steady: Lake Whatcom Water Quality Update

by April Markiewicz When looking at the current water quality data for Lake Whatcom, our community’s primary drinking water source, it is starting to feel like nothing is changing. Those parameters that indicated stabilization or improvements (e.g., golden algal counts … Continue reading

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  April 2025

Train Noise: Fairhaven Quiet Zone

What Took So Long? by Preston L. Schiller The good news is that a train quiet zone for the south side of Bellingham, known as the “Fairhaven Quiet Zone” came into effect on March 10, 2025. (See the City of … Continue reading

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  March 2025

How Water Use Affects Nooksack Streamflows

by Eric Hirst Editor’s Note: a longer, more detailed version of this article is available at: https://whatcomwatch.org/wpww2/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Effects-of-Human-Water-Use-on-Nooksack-Streamflows.pdf Climate change is dramatically affecting seasonal flows of water throughout the Nooksack River watershed, with substantial declines in summer flows. These declines are … Continue reading

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  March 2025

Has Value Village Fooled Us?

Community Donations Mean High Profit Margins for Thrift Giant by Ella Gage *Editor’s note: Savers Value Village did not respond to questions via a media inquiry email (they don’t have a corporate phone number, only for the individual stores). Bellingham’s … Continue reading

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  February 2025

Expanding Shelters in Whatcom County

by Meghan Fenwick In a Whatcom County Council meeting on September 24, Human Services Manager Ann Beck updated the council on their progress in establishing a severe weather shelter between November 2024 and February 2025. Below freezing temperatures can pose … Continue reading

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  January 2025

Whatcom Land Trust and Community Partners Protect Land

by Lorraine Wilde While celebrating its 40th Anniversary conserving land in Whatcom County, Whatcom Land Trust (the Trust) partnered this past October with Whatcom Transportation Authority (WTA) and Whatcom Million Trees Project to protect 51 additional acres at Kelsey Nature … Continue reading

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