Safe water is essential to healthy people in healthy communities.
You and your family should have fun and stay healthy when you enjoy the water. That’s why we take water samples on Lake Tapps, Spanaway Lake, and several Puget Sound beaches. When conditions are unsafe, we issue advisories to protect you from getting sick. We remove the advisory when the water is safe for people and pets.
We also work with the Washington Department of Health to monitor shellfish and issue advisories when toxins are present. Make sure you check this list before you swim or harvest shellfish in Pierce County.
For a list of saltwater beaches we monitor, check our Beach Info page.
To learn more about our work on Lake Tapps, visit our TappsWise page.
Current advisories
| Location | Advisory type | Date posted | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commencement Bay Inner Waterways | Do not eat the fish. | Feb. 24, 2017 | Do not eat any crab, shellfish, or bottom-feeding fish from the inner waterways of Commencement Bay. |
| Spanaway Lake | Toxic algae caution advisory | Aug. 13, 2026 | Avoid areas of the lake where you see algae because they can pose health concerns. |
| Wapato Lake | Toxic algae caution advisory | Aug. 20, 2026 | Avoid areas of the lake where you see algae because they can pose health concerns. |
| Tanwax Lake | Toxic algae caution advisory | Aug. 20, 2026 | Avoid areas of the lake where you see algae because they can pose health concerns. |
| Ohop Lake | Toxic algae caution advisory | Aug. 27, 2026 | Avoid areas of the lake where you see algae because they can pose health concerns. |
| Steilacoom Lake | Toxic algae caution advisory | Sept. 18, 2026 | Avoid areas of the lake where you see algae because they can pose health concerns. |
| Thea Foss Waterway | Seasonal rainfall advisory | Oct. 5, 2026 | While the advisory is in effect, avoid contact with the water for 48 hours after it rains. |
| Bay Lake | Toxic algae caution advisory | Oct. 16, 2026 | Avoid areas of the lake where you see algae because they can pose health concerns. |
Fish and shellfish advisories
Shellfishing conditions can change quickly—you should always check before you dig. For current state-wide conditions, check the Department of Health’s map of safe areas for recreational shellfish harvesting.
Find out more
For additional information on the types of health advisories we issue, check out these resources:
- Swimmer’s Itch brochure
- Toxic Algae brochure
- Toxic Algae page
- Safe Recreational Shellfish brochure
- Commencement Bay Fish and Shellfish Consumption Advisory, November 2018
Get involved
Want to help improve water quality? Find out what you can do to get involved today.
Stay up to date
Sign up for Surface Water and Shellfish Advisories.