Bloedel Donovan Park
Bloedel Donovan Park
Bloedel Donovan Park
The Bloedel Donovan Park Discovery Tour shows how the City of Bellingham is managing stormwater runoff and reducing water pollution in this area. The park is a popular place to interact with our natural environment and the beauty of the shoreline. This tour will introduce you to four uniquely-different types of stormwater facilities: a media filter drain, a pervious concrete sidewalk, a stormwater vault, and a rain garden as well as other interesting features along the way.
In 1946, Julius H. and Mina Bloedel donated this 12.5 acres of prime property on Lake Whatcom. It has changed some since then. Stormwater and shoreline improvement projects completed in 2015 included onsite stormwater mitigation, the removal of an existing concrete bulkhead, and beach improvements. It also included pockets of additional native planting areas which also address water quality. Interpretive signs and lake-friendly plantings at the park educate homeowners about low-impact landscaping techniques. The City of Bellingham and Whatcom County have also instituted the Lake Whatcom Homeowner Incentive Program (HIP) with incentives for homeowners to adopt lake-friendly landscaping practices in the watershed. Other water quality improvement efforts include the use of phosphorus-free fertilizers in the watershed and campaigns to encourage scooping dog poop. These efforts are helping to protect the quality of Lake Whatcom’s water.
The park is accessible by car and bus and has ample parking. Accessibility is also easy for walkers and bikers who use the nearby Whatcom Falls trail system to access the park. Electric Avenue has bike lanes all the way to the park. Concrete sidewalks make this accessible for all users – people with strollers, walkers, canes, or wheelchairs. This is the only public boat launch access to Lake Whatcom within the city limits. For safety and water quality, please keep dogs on a leash, bring extra bags, scoop every poop, and keep the bag until it can be put in the trash.
This tour is accessible with a wheelchair.
image gallery
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If there's water, people want to play in it. If there's a beach, people want to get to it. Lake Whatcom is an urban gem drawing people to play, enjoy, and revel in this beautiful place we call home.
The water at this popular swimming area is kept clean through innovative stormwater treatment.
Bloedel Donovan Park is a great place to recreate. With that, comes a responsibility to keep the water clean and healthy for people and creatures alike.
Check out this special sidewalk installed in 2015 that prevents pollution from entering Lake Whatcom.
These stately trees and their roots take up a lot of stormwater and provide shade during the hot summer months for people recreating at the beach.
In this photo, notice the historic uses at the current park location. The Bloedel family donated 12.5 acres on prime Lake Whatcom waterfront in 1946. It was formerly the site of Larson Lumber Mill and later, the Bloedel Donovan Lumber Mill.
This popular play structure is a huge draw at the park. Mulch creates a soft play surface and keeps the area drained of rainwater.
During peak use, over 100 motorized boats and their vehicles a day use this boat launch. Stormwater from the ramp and staging area is treated in the vault near the ramp.
This interpretive sign explains how the beach you play on and the sidewalks you walk on also prevent water pollution.
Disguised as a beach, this sand contains a special media filter designed to treat stormwater runoff from the grassy areas of the park.
This interpretive sign explains how the beach you play on also prevents water pollution.
Tall trees, rain gardens, permeable pavement, vaults, and media filters - all working hard to protect water quality at this popular park on Lake Whatcom.
This photo from 1950 shows a bulkhead around much of the park's shoreline. The stately trees of today are absent and hard surfaces are everywhere.
The Larson Lumber Mill occupied the current location known as Bloedel Donovan Park as shown here in 1910.
