skip to main content

To offer a suggestion or report an error on the Water and Land Resources' website, please contact Fred Bentler, webmaster.

Environmental Data in King County, Washington

Environmental monitoring data

Swimming beach bacteria levels and water temperature
Use a regional map to look up water quality graphs and data for about 30 swimming beaches at lakes across King County.

Streams and rivers water quality monitoring data
Look up water quality data and graphs for streams and rivers including temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, turbidity, conductivity, total suspended solids, phosphorus, nitrogen, bacteria, metals, precip, overall water quality index, and toxicity and pesticide studies.

Benthic macroinvertebrate (stream bug) monitoring
Learn why aquatic insect counts provide insight about the health of streams, and look up measures for many streams in King County, Washington. More data can be found at our Puget Sound stream benthos site (external link).

Major lakes water quality monitoring data
Lake buoy data - water column
Small lakes water quality monitoring data
Use maps to find sampling sites for graphs and data of temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, nitrogen, phosphorus, chlorophyll, secchi depth, fecal coliform count, and E. coli count.

Hydrologic Information Center
Look up records for over 500 sites for continuous recording stream gages on rivers and streams, continuous recording rain gages, visually checked staff and crest stage gages in wetlands, lakes and detention facilities, recording and non-recording groundwater wells, and water quality sampling.

Critical Areas Ordinance monitoring (Regulatory monitoring)

Groundwater well data
Look up water quality sampling data and well levels using an interactive map or a form.

Flood Warning System (river gage) data
Read the current gage readings for major river systems across King County, and compare to historical records of past flood events.

Puget Sound water quality monitoring data
Download data and view graphs for Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) profiles for various mapped points and cast dates.

Related information

Related agencies

News and announcements

Nov. 3, 2011
External article, Seattle Times
Chemicals in Puget Sound come from diverse sources

Sept. 21, 2011
Learn about Quartermaster Harbor water quality study at Oct. 12 public workshop

June 6, 2011
External article, Crosscut
Scientists zero in on culprits behind Puget Sound water problems

May 28, 2011
External article, Seattle Times
Pollution lower, risks remain for marine life

May 20, 2011
External opinion, Seattle Times
Revising oil-pollution levels in Puget Sound

May 17, 2011
External article, Seattle Times
State overestimated oil-pollution levels in Sound

Mar. 28, 2011
King County water quality monitors record effects of tsunami from Japanese earthquake

Dec. 21, 2010
King County picked to road test national sustainable community rating system
As of 1 of 9 pilot STAR Communities nationally, King County will help refine software tools for advancing sustainable community development

Oct., 2010
External article, Stormwater Magazine
Stormwater Quality Sentries
Managers use monitoring and sampling systems that provide trend data to detect pollution early and help prevent major problems

Oct. 7, 2010
Natural Resources and Parks director, and chief information officer confirmed by Council
Christie True, Bill Kehoe praised for experience, leadership, innovation

Sept. 23, 2010
Executive launches King County Open Data Project for easier access to public information
More than 90 of most frequently requested data sets now online for development of new web apps by the public

Sept. 14, 2010
King County wins $1.4 million in science grants to study health of Puget Sound, watershed

July 22, 2010
Vandals damage Lake Sammamish data buoy
Replacement cost could reach $60K; King County seeks party responsible

July 7, 2010
External article, Issaquah Press
EPA awards almost $1 million to monitor Issaquah Creek, other streams

May 19, 2010
External article, Seattle Times
Dioxin questions rise along the Duwamish

» News archive - environmental monitoring data