Faculty Update: Associate Professor Jim Gawel Planning for Lakewood's Waughop Lake

In its March 9, 2016 article, “Sediment the culprit behind toxic algae at Lakewood’s Waughop Lake,” the News Tribune shared the findings of a recent study of Waughop Lake in Lakewood, WA.

Due to toxic blue-green algae, Waughop Lake in Fort Steilacoom Park has been under a health department-issued “no contact” advisory since 2009.

Local officials believed a combination of groundwater runoff, failing septic systems and animal waste contributed to the toxic algae blooms.

To determine the cause of the algae issues, the City of Lakewood turned to the expertise of UW Tacoma faculty member Jim Gawel.

The City of Lakewood hired Gawel, an associate professor of environmental chemistry and engineering, in conjunction with engineering consulting firm Brown and Caldwell, to develop a lake management plan.

As part of the planning process, Gawel monitored the lake for a year; the plan is expected to be presented to the city this fall.

[Editor's note: the report was presented to the city in early 2017: "Polluted Lake Waughop may need multi-million dollar cleanup to halt growth of toxic algae."]

Dr. Gawel works with the UW Tacoma Giving Garden and the Sustainable Hub for Education and Demonstration (SHED) project. The Giving Garden contributes its harvest to local food banks.