Egg Hunt at Angle Lake Park

Round up your offspring and hop on over to Angle Lake Park where children 10 years and under will have fun scrambling for eggs and treats. We predict the weather to be “sunny side up.”
Date: Saturday, April 3
Time: 9:00 AM Sharp!
Where: Angle Lake Park
For additional information, please call the SeaTac Parks and Recreation Department at 973.4680.

Please be on time because the event doesn’t last much longer than a 2-minute egg.  Children should plan on  bringing their own baskets to haul off their discovered treats. This event is co-sponsored by the SeaTac Parks and Recreation Department, SeaTac Fire Fighters Local Union #2919 and the SeaTac Fire Department.

Neighbrohood Crime Prevention


Neighborhood safety was one of the topics discussed during a recent ALSC Board Meeting where the conversation indicated that prowler activity appeared to be on the rise around the lake.  A quick check with SeaTac City Police Community Crime Prevention Officer Doug Reynolds confirms that there has been an increase in the number of residential burglaries particularly concentrated along Military Road South from South 170th Street to about South 200th Street.  Officer Reynolds emphasized the most important thing neighbors can do is to keep an eye out for each other and report all suspicious activity to the police by calling 9-1-1 immediately. 

There are also a number of simple, cost effective strategies home owners can use to reduce their risk of being a crime victim.  Some require the installation of better deadbolts and strike plates along with improvements in lighting and landscape.  Officer Reynolds can schedule a residential security survey of your property which is offered to all SeaTac residents at zero cost. 

And finally residents should consider forming a Block Watch within their neighborhood.  This is a proven tool to help reduce crime and all it takes is someone to organize, advertise, and recruit their neighbors to attend a meeting. Officer Reynolds is available to discuss the aforementioned topics and other safety ideas during an initial Block Watch meeting.  Initial meetings should be planned to last about two hours depending upon the number of questions and size of the group.

The SeaTac City website offers a checklist of ideas for starting a Block Watch. Officer Reynolds may be contacted at (206) 973-4904to assist answering any additional question that you may have.

Volunteers Needed for Urban Forest Restoration

Volunteers who are interested improving the natural environment for fish, wildlife, and humans are needed to continue the work already started to remove non-native, invasive English ivy from trees and the forest floor along Walker Creek.  This is a great opportunity for you, your family members and friends enjoy outdoor physical activity, meet people who share a similar interest and take pride in the result of this labor having improved growing conditions for the affected vegetation to support a thriving stream.
No prior experience required!  All you need is eager attitude, sturdy shoes or boots and a water bottle.  Gloves, tools and snacks will be supplied.  Please note parking is limited.  If driving, parking options include:  two spaces for high clearance vehicles just inside gate, three spaces in small lot at SW 171st and 2nd Ave SW, and on the street along S. 168th Street on east side of First Avenue South.

A promotional flyer for this event may be accessed here.

For a detailed explanation why English Ivy is such a problem for our environment, please refer to the IvyO.U.T. website hosted by the Washington Native Plant Society.

Spring Recycling Event

The first day of Spring arrives on Saturday, March 20th – and with spring our thoughts and actions naturally turn to “Spring Cleaning!”  Get a start on your cleaning now by rounding up any old appliances, scrap metal, tires, oil, batteries, electronics, florescent lighting, reusable household goods and more!  And turn these items in for recycling at the 
SeaTac Spring Recycling Event:
Date: 4/10/2010 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location: Tyee High Parking Lot
4424 South 188th Street

A Food Drive supporting our local Highline Area Food Bank will also be held during the Recycle Collection Event.  Please consider bringing canned and non-perishable food, diapers, toilet paper, soap, pet food, and laundry detergent.  Paper bags and financial donations are welcome, too!

Please note: Computer monitors and TV's will NOT be accepted at the Tyee High School location however, you can recycle these items for free at other locations.  Call 1-800-RECYCLE for specific collecting locations and additional information.

Free Family Nights at the YMCA

Through special arrangement between the Matt Griffin YMCA and the City of SeaTac Parks and Recreation Department, all residents of the city are invited to enjoy free limited use of the YMCA facility during the next scheduled Family Night:
Date: 3/14/2010 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
Cost: Free for SeaTac residents.
Location: Matt Griffin YMCA
3595 S. 188th St.
SeaTac, Washington 98188

Family Nights at the new Matt Griffin YMCA will be offered each quarter with the following dates reserved:
 Sunday, March 14 • 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Sunday, May 23 • 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Sunday, July 11 • 4:30-6:00 p.m.

To qualify for this free event, members of the family household must provide proof of residency by presenting valid drivers license and a recent utility bill. Maximum of 5 people per household.

For more information on this and other family friendly activities, please refer to the 2010 Spring Activities Guide

Angle Lake Algal Bloom

As many residents around Angle Lake have noticed in the last few weeks, the clarity of the water is not as good as we like to see it. In fact, the lake has taken on a murky brown color which has reduced visibility in the water to less than one meter, so it is difficult to see the lake bottom from the shoreline or docks.

The City, through a contract with King County, has had a water sample tested and it confirmed our suspicion that the cause of murky water is an algal bloom. The good news is that none of the species found produce toxins, like the infamous blue green algae, and that algal blooms have a limited life cycle. They eat up the nutrients in the lake; then die off. So the clarity of the lake should return to normal. We are hopeful that this will occur by mid-spring. The bad news is that this type of algae can give off a strong fishy odor during the final stages of its life. Conditions on the lake may get worse in the short term before they get better. It is important to remember that while murkiness of the water and the potential odors that may appear are a nuisance, they are a natural phenomena and do not represent any health concerns.

What causes an algal bloom?  Like land plants, algae need certain things to grow – water, carbon dioxide, sunlight, and nutrients. All lakes have a plentiful source of water and carbon (from decaying vegetation). In our case the likely culprits are warmer than usual winter weather and increased level of nutrients in the lake.

Has this happened before and will it happen again?  According to King County records, this is the first occurrence of this algal bloom. While it is the first occurrence, it does not mean it will happen again. In fact it may never happen again, or it may re-appear periodically. All of the right conditions have to align for this bloom to reoccur.

What can we do to reduce or prevent algal blooms?  To reduce or prevent algal blooms, we have to limit the elements that make it thrive. Since we cannot limit water, carbon, or sunshine, the only way we can limit the growth of algal is to reduce the volume of nutrients flowing to our lake. Sources of these nutrients include: duck and geese feces, pet feces, and fertilizers from lawns and gardens.  Simple practices that Angle Lake watershed residents can adopt to help reduce nutrient loading to the lake are:
  • Don’t feed the ducks or geese. It is unhealthy for the birds and it leads to an unhealthy build up of fecal matter on our shores and docks, which eventually gets washed into our lake. 
  • Scoop up daily after pet, bag it and put it in the garbage, don’t bury it. When it rains, pet waste left in the yard will dissolve and send nutrients and bacteria into the lake. 
  • Limit the use of fertilizers. If you must use them, use natural slow release fertilizers that are phosphorus free.
The preceding information was obtained from the City of SeaTac - City Manager's Weekly Update dated March 5th.  For information and answers to questions on lake ecology, or the City’s lake monitoring program, please contact Sally Abella with King County’s Water and Land Resources Division at (206) 296-8382.