Birch Bay Watershed & Aquatic Resources Management District

Thank You for Keeping Our Beaches Clean!

Another successful Birch Bay beach cleanup is in the books. Over 110 volunteers searched Birch Bay beaches for garbage on the days following the Fourth of July. Together we collected 3.28 tons (6560 pounds) of firework debris. Help us give a big thank you to everyone that prevented trash from polluting our marine waters!  

Capital Project Update: Harborview Road & Birch Bay Drive Drainage Improvements

This project will improve drainage in the area by installing a new conveyance system along Birch Bay Drive and Harborview Road from the intersection of Birch Bay Lynden Road to a newly constructed outfall in Birch Bay. Construction of the outfall will begin in late fall 2020, and the remaining work will be constructed in early fall 2021. This project will be constructed in coordination with the ongoing Pedestrian Facility Project (Birch Bay Berm), which will also utilize the new outfall. More information on this project and other capital improvement projects can be found on the BBWARM website. Contact Kevin Thompson, Project Engineer, at 360-778-6297 with any questions. Please see the map below for project limits. 

Register Now For This Free Fun Run Event!

Join us (virtually) for the 8th annual Run with the Chums event! This year we will celebrate healthy water, healthy habitat, and healthy people by holding a virtual fun run. This event will take place during Whatcom Water Week, from September 12-19. To participate, register here and choose your own watershed adventure! Get outside on your own schedule and at your own speed. Register before September 4th to receive a race packet with a FREE headband, conservation pledge, and more. Check the event page for more information. 

Berm Project Construction Update

Construction for the Birch Bay Drive and Pedestrian Facility Project (berm project) has been on hiatus since June 2020 when the first project season ended. Birch Bay residents will see staging of equipment in August, and work will resume in late August or early September for the second project season. The contractor will start by replacing an outfall at Golf Course Creek, near the Birch Bay Chamber of Commerce office. Crews will work their way northward replacing outfalls for three or four weeks after work begins. Whatcom County Communications Specialist Marie Duckworth recently did an interview on KGMI to talk about the project. Click here for more project information.

Water Currents Newsletter

The Washington State University Extension in Whatcom County produces a newsletter featuring projects, research, field notes, and educational outreach programs that are focused on local water quality. Click here to subscribe if you are interested, or click here to view past issues of the newsletter. The most recent issue is linked to the photo below!