By Dennis Box-The Courier-Herald

The Lake Tapps Community Council got a glimpse of the promised land March 19 and if the pieces of the picture stay in place, the members' dreams may come true.

The council members, along with Rep. Chris Hurst and Pierce County Councilman Shawn Bunney, met with Department of Ecology Director Jay Manning and other Ecology staff members at the Tapps Island Club House.

The meeting was meant to gain information by both sides.

Cascade Water Alliance is set to purchase the lake from Puget Sound Energy for $39 million. Cascade is an eastside water utility and intends to use Lake Tapps as a municipal drinking water reservoir.

The Community Council members gave a short history of their nine-year battle to save the lake and their way of life. The members were looking for Manning to give them a peek at the direction the department was heading in issuing the drinking water right.

What the members heard from Manning was as soothing as a cool drink of water on a hot, summer day.

“To cut to it,” Manning said, “we feel strongly we will issue a water right that will protect the lake.”

Manning went on to describe three “legitimate interests” surrounding the lake. First is a legitimate interest in a water right for the lake. Second, Cascade Water Alliance has an interest in a healthy, safe water supply; third is the community's interest in recreational lake levels.

“Theses (interests) compete with each other and there is a limited pot of water,” Manning said.

Manning said the flow regime the department was looking at would keep the lake at recreational level all but “14 days out of 15 years.” He went on to state the lake would be down six inches or less during those days.

The next provision Manning committed to was seen as a major victory for the community.

“Our models could be wrong,” Manning said, “so we are putting in an adaptive measure to figure out what we did wrong.”

Manning said the “adaptive measure” means if the model for lake levels and the water right are not working in the real world, Ecology and other interested parties will get back together and adjust the parameters.

“These guys (Cascade) are not going to take water for years,” Manning said. “That gives us some time.”

The director told the community this water right will be a compromise for all sides.

“Cascade, the tribes and you will not get everything you want,” Manning said.

Instead of a “win-win-win,” Manning described the water right ruling for the three parties as, “I can live with it, I can live with it, I can live with it.”

The director said he met with Gov. Chris Gregoire and discussed the water right and the lake levels before coming to the meeting. He pointed out Gregoire was director of Ecology prior to being elected governor and serving as attorney general.

“She said you have to find that narrow path,” Manning said. “And the good news is, I think it exists.”

Following the meeting, Bunney said, “I think the Mr. Manning and his staff brought a very hopeful message to our community.”

Manning said he expects the water right to be issued by Ecology by the middle of the summer.

Cascade's board is set to consider the purchase agreement for the lake at 4:15 p.m. today, Wednesday, at the Bellevue City Hall.