Lake Sawyer Advocacy Group

10/12/2026

Lake Sawyer Advocacy Group to Present Research on Declining Lake Levels to Black Diamond City Council

BLACK DIAMOND, WA — The Lake Sawyer Advocacy Group (LSAG) will present more than a decade of lake water level research, key findings, and a future strategy to address declining summer water levels to the Black Diamond City Council on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 6:00PM.

LSAG’s research points to a potential connection between Lake Sawyer’s water level declines and groundwater pumping from Covington Water District’s (CWD) 222nd Street wells, located approximately 600 feet from the lake. LSAG is concerned that CWD’s water sales to other utilities and planned expansion could increase water level declines in the future.

From July through September, lake levels can drop significantly, exposing shorelines, leaving boats high and dry, and making the public boat launch unusable. These declines also raise concerns about the lake’s ecosystem, fish and wildlife habitat, and lakefront property values.

After more than 10 years of data collection, legal research, and geological investigation, LSAG believes further scientific analysis and regulatory involvement are essential to understanding the causes of declining lake levels and identifying effective solutions.

Comprised entirely of unpaid volunteers with professional expertise, LSAG is committed to sharing accurate information, addressing misinformation, and protecting Lake Sawyer from the potential impacts of excessive groundwater extraction.

“Lake Sawyer is a valuable natural resource and a vital part of our community. We need to understand what is driving these declines and take meaningful steps to protect the lake for future generations,” said a representative of LSAG.

LSAG encourages residents and concerned community members to attend the presentation and learn more about the research and proposed next steps.

City Council Meeting Details

Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2026 Time: 6:00PM

Location: Black Diamond City Council Chambers
25510 Lawson Street, Black Diamond, WA 98010

Meeting Agenda: https://blackdiamondwa.gov/1220/Minutes-Agendas

Hybrid meeting: Attend in person or participate virtually or by telephone.

Join via Zoom.

Meeting ID: 445 447 7047
Password: Council

A we**am is not required, but audio is needed to hear the proceedings.

Join by telephone:

+1 253 215 8782 (Tacoma)

+1 206 337 9723 (Seattle)

Meeting ID: 445 447 7047

Passcode: 426953 #

About LSAG

The Lake Sawyer Advocacy Group is a committee of the Lake Sawyer Community Club dedicated to safeguarding Lake Sawyer’s water levels, fish, wildlife, and aquatic habitat. Its volunteer members work to educate the public and elected officials, engage regulatory agencies, and advocate for responsible water resource management.

Contact: Lake Sawyer Advocacy Group (LSAG)
Email: [email protected]

09/24/2026

Lake Sawyer Community Receives $200,273 Grant for Comprehensive Water-Level and Flood-Risk Study

LAKE SAWYER, WA - September 24, 2026 — The Lake Sawyer Community Club, in partnership with the Lake Sawyer Advocacy Group (LSAG), has been awarded $200,273 through the King County Flood Control District’s Steve Bleifuhs Memorial Flood Reduction Grant Program to study the factors affecting water levels, flooding, and low-water conditions in the Lake Sawyer.

The grant was approved on September 8, 2026, as part of a funding round that awarded 39 new grants. The program received 46 applications requesting more than $33 million in total funding.

The Lake Sawyer Community Club will combine the grant funding with $66,000 committed by Lake Sawyer residents to fund a comprehensive Hydrogeologic Assessment of Lake Sawyer Water Level Dynamics and Flood Risk Drivers.

Community Advocacy Led to the Study
For over 10 years lake residents have been tracking declining water levels in late summer. The effort to better understand Lake Sawyer’s water-level dynamics ramped up in January 2026, when members of the Lake Sawyer Advocacy Group met with representatives from Councilmember Reagan Dunn’s office, and from the King County Flood Control District, to discuss ongoing Lake Sawyer water-level concerns.

During those discussions, the representatives encouraged LSAG to pursue grant funding for a study examining the connectivity between Lake Sawyer and the aquifer supplying the 222nd Street Covington Water District well.

The resulting study will evaluate the hydrologic processes that control water levels throughout the Lake Sawyer watershed, with particular attention to groundwater and surface-water interactions and their potential influence on seasonal flooding and summer low-water conditions.

The assessment is intended to provide the technical foundation for future flood-mitigation planning, watershed-resilience improvements, and science-based watershed management decisions.

Protecting Lake Sawyer and Covington Creek
A key focus of the study will be Lake Sawyer’s summer low-water conditions. During the summer, lake levels can decline to the outlet elevation, while Covington Creek, a salmon-bearing stream, can experience reduced or dry conditions for extended periods.

Understanding the causes and consequences of these conditions matters not only for the lake but also for the watershed's ecological function and its ability to respond to fall and winter storm events.

Local Hydrogeologic Expertise
Following a competitive request-for-proposals (RFP) process, LSAG reviewed comprehensive proposals from local hydrogeologic consulting firms. After evaluating the proposed approaches, LSAG selected Strata Geosciences to conduct the study.

Strata Geosciences is a local consulting firm with decades of experience in environmental, hydrogeologic, and water-resource consulting. The Lake Sawyer Advocacy Group looks forward to working with Strata Geosciences and beginning the assessment in the coming months.

“This study represents an important investment in understanding the Lake Sawyer watershed and the factors that influence both high- and low-water conditions,” said representatives of the Lake Sawyer Community Club and Lake Sawyer Advocacy Group. “The community is grateful to the King County Flood Control District, our local partners, and the residents who committed funding to make this important work possible.”

Financial Pledges
Contributions from the community can be submitted by check to the Lake Sawyer Community Club. PO Box 191, Black Diamond, WA 98010. Checks are preferred so that the greatest possible portion of each contribution can go directly toward the study. We cannot accept online Credit Card Payments for LSAG contributions.

*Please note LSAG on the Check Memo.

If you did not previously pledge a financial commitment but would still like to contribute, LSAG would greatly appreciate your support. Your donation will be put to good use and will help enhance the scope and depth of the hydrogeologic study.

About the Lake Sawyer Community Club and Lake Sawyer Advocacy Group
The Lake Sawyer Community Club and Lake Sawyer Advocacy Group work together to promote informed stewardship of Lake Sawyer and its surrounding watershed. Their efforts include community education, advocacy, and collaboration with local and regional agencies on issues affecting the lake, its watershed, water resources, and surrounding environment.

Media Contact:
Lake Sawyer Community Club / Lake Sawyer Advocacy Group
[email protected]
[email protected]

06/19/2026

Join the Fight to Save Druids Glen Golf Course! Sign the Petition
https://www.change.org/p/preserve-druids-glen-golf-course-in-covington-wa

Why does this matter to those of us who live on Lake Sawyer?
Any additional residential and commercial development within the Covington Water District service area means increased water demand and potentially more groundwater pumping from the aquifer that is connected to and recharged by Lake Sawyer.

Currently, Druids Glen Golf Course operates using a responsible water conservation system. The course captures and stores winter runoff in ponds, then uses those reserves for irrigation throughout the summer months—reducing its reliance on additional water sources.

Meanwhile, Covington Water District has stated that continued pumping from the 222nd Street Well is necessary to meet the needs of its customers. As our region continues to grow, protecting existing conservation-minded spaces becomes even more important.

Saving Druids Glen is about more than preserving a golf course. It is about protecting open space, recreation, wildlife habitat, and the long-term health of our shared watershed.

Please join us in supporting the effort to preserve this incredible community resource.

05/26/2026

Voice Your Support for Lake Sawyer

LSAG is applying for a King County Flood Reduction Grant to fund a scientific study of Lake Sawyer water levels, flooding, drought conditions, and watershed hydrology.

If changing lake levels or flooding have impacted your property, recreation, access, or quality of life, we encourage you to submit a short support letter sharing your experience and concerns for the future.

Please email letters to [email protected] by Thursday at 10:00 a.m.

Community support is critical as we work toward science-based solutions and long-term watershed resilience for Lake Sawyer and Covington Creek.

Read More:

LSAG is currently applying for a King County Flood Reduction Grant to fund a scientific study of Lake Sawyer water levels, flooding, seasonal low-water conditions, and watershed hydrology.

03/22/2026

The next CWD meeting is this week! If you would like to attend a Covington Water District meeting and ask them to stop pumping from the 222nd ST Well after the Lake Sawyer weir reaches 0.0”, and buy water from Tacoma Water to sell to the Lake Meridian Water District, here is the meeting information:

Public comment is in the first few minutes of the meeting.

4:30 p.m. on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday of each month

Covington Water District
18631 SE 300th Place
Covington, WA 98042

Please let us know if you need additional talking points!

03/11/2026

Covington Water District will be discussing a letter co-drafted by LSAG & CWD today. If you have time, please log in and watch.

CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 4:30 P.M.
MICROSOFT TEAMS ACCESS:

Meeting ID: 265 925 683 470

Passcode: 5mZ6Yw3U

Dial by your location

+1 206 677 8151 (Seattle)

Phone conference ID: 586 566 686 #

02/28/2026

On Tuesday afternoon, we attended the Covington Water District meeting where the Tacoma Water District made a presentation and we learned a few interesting things.

1. Tacoma has plenty of water to sell to regional wholesale buyers and is interested in selling it.

2. They already have a tie in with the Lake Meridian Water District AND they have a contract to buy water directly from Tacoma. Meaning CWD does not have to pump additional water from our 222nd St. well in order to satisfy the needs of the Lake Meridian Water District.

3. Despite allegations from CWD, the top 10 climate change forecasting models predict that the Pacific Northwest will actually experience hotter but wetter weather in the future. Tacoma Water expects to be able to supply sufficient water even under various stress conditions for the next 40+ years.

4. Federal funding has been provided for a Fish passage at the Howard Hanson Dam, this project will eventually provide additional water storage for CWD in the 2030s, which could mean less pumping from the well.

We are currently working with King County to apply for a grant for a hydrogeological test that would prove connectivity between the Well and the Lake. We have reached out and asked for support from the City of Black Diamond and the Muckleshoot Tribe, as well as other interested parties. That process will take some time, but we are working on it.

01/17/2026

We had a productive meeting this morning with Cody Eccles, Chief of Staff to King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn (District 9), and Michelle Clark, Executive Director of the King County Flood Control District.

We had a thoughtful discussion about the Lake Sawyer water level situation, and they were receptive to the evidence showing a correlation between lake levels and Covington Water District pumping from the 222nd Street well.

We also discussed next steps, including which grants to pursue to help fund a scientific study that could determine connectivity between the well and the lake. They provided helpful guidance on moving forward.

We’ll continue working with them as we take the next steps in grant writing and organizing a hydrologic study. We appreciate their willingness to meet with us and look forward to collaboration and support from King County as we advocate for the long-term health of Lake Sawyer.

We are preparing to give a presentation of LSAG's progress at the upcoming Lake Sawyer Community Club meeting in February.

Send a message to learn more