Comissioner Meeting July 28th
SUBJECT: TAKE ACTION NOW! Protect Big Lake from Stormwater
Please write today and come to the Meeting! Please send to your neighbors and friends!
SKAGIT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS PUBLIC HEARING – Critical Areas Ordinance Update
Monday July 28, 2025, 11 a.m. County Administrative Building Hearing Room, 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon, WA.
E-mail - commissioners@co.skagit.wa.us.
See Below for Commissioner meeting info and sample statement. For more info see BigLakeInformed.org.
Protect Big Lake, a critical area, from Stormwater Pollution. Unfortunately, the county code allows new development to send polluted stormwater to Big Lake and other critical areas without treatment or scientific review. This is contrary to state law.
Ask your County Commissioners to Plug the Hole in the Approval Process. Require developers to prove their stormwater runoff designs protect the ‘swimmable, fishable’ functions and values of critical areas that receive the runoff, without regard to distance from the development.
Currently, Planning Department seeks to protect only critical areas 200’ from the development boundary. But untreated, polluted stormwater runoff is carried longer distances in ditches and culverts directly to critical areas. Distance makes no difference. For example, the Overlook Crest development of 105 homes above Big Lake was approved in 2024 to send untreated stormwater runoff from 18+ acres of new impervious area in a big pipe directly to Big Lake. Approval was granted with no “critical area site-assessment” reviewing the impacts on Big Lake of the new polluted stormwater runoff. Why? Because Big Lake, the critical area, was 800+ feet from the development’s discharge point instead of within the 200 foot review area.*
As more development occurs around Big Lake, it is important that Big Lake is protected. This is not about stopping development, it is about protecting Big Lake.
Commissioner Meetings
Attend In-Person at Commissioners’ Hearing Room located 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon, WA 98273 or Remote via Zoom.
You can also join a Commissioner meeting remotely by dialing 1-253-215-8782
Meeting ID:871 8000 1980 Passcode: 143573
If you experience problems opening the Zoom link above, you will need to copy the entire address into your browser instead: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87180001980?pwd=eEVGUGkxZ3NkQkhYSnhBMEo2RTQrdz09
Public comments can be provided by sending an e-mail to commissioners@co.skagit.wa.us or by calling the Commissioners’ office at (360) 416-1300.
Sample Statement (You can use as is, or write your own😊)
"Hello, my name is xxx and I live at [physical address], Mt. Vernon, Big Lake. Big Lake is a Critical Area where the water quality has continued to degrade over the years. I ask you to require developers to provide Critical Areas Site Assessments for the off-site impacts of their developments to critical areas without regard to distance. Big Lake and other critical areas should be protected from further degradation caused by stormwater pollution."
THANKS FOR HELPING TO PROTECT BIG LAKE!!
*Some citizens have appealed this recent Planning Department decision. The County Commissioners sent the plan back last November for a public hearing on the design of the stormwater system. That did not occur; a new plan was allegedly approved recently without public notice, without a public hearing on the stormwater plan, and no new permit. This alleged permit is being appealed.
