By Dennis Box-The Courier-Herald
Lake Tapps continues to be well below recreational level with the days of June rapidly coming to an end.
The U.S. Geological Survey real-time data site that monitors the elevation of water in the lake, reported as of Monday morning it was at 539.82 feet, or more than 2 feet below the minimum level for recreation.
According to Leon Stucki, a homeowner on the lake and member of the Lake Tapps Community Council, slightly less than 2 inches of water per day is going into the lake. With the lake at about 2 feet below minimum, it will take at least until the first of July before the minimum level is reached.
If the weather warms up considerably, more water could flow into the lake, but Stucki said 3 inches per day is the fastest the lake has ever filled.
One of the problems causing the lake to fill slowly is the White River barrier dam, also called a diversion dam, continues to have 17 flashboards down and has not been repaired. The boards were washed away during storms in December and January.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates the dam and the fish trap, which is located next to the dam, and the diversion flume that directs water into Lake Tapps.
The fish trap collects spawning Chinook salmon, bull trout and steelhead trout. All three species are listed as threatened on the federal government's endangered species act.
The fish are driven around Mud Mountain Dam to spawning grounds in the upper portion of the White River.
Jeff Dillon from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said there is still no date to fix the barrier dam's flashboards.
The spawning season for Chinook salmon begins in early July and pink salmon around the middle of July.
“We have been more worried about juvenile (fish) coming downstream than fish going up,” Dillon said. “The fish trap is working and the fish will find the opening.”
Dillon said the problem with repairing the dam now is the flows in the river are too high for workers to get into the river and make repair.
Puget Sound Energy, owner of the lake, dam and flume, will repair the flashboards when the corps gives them a date to begin.
Roger Thompson, spokesman for PSE, said it will only take about three days to repair the dam once the conditions are right.
Another issue complicating the repairs is water cannot be held back at Mud Mountain Dam because of repairs to the tunnels that direct the White River through the dam.
There are two tunnels that pass water through the dam, one 9 feet in diameter, the other 23 feet. Dillon said, “radial gates on the upstream end of the tunnels control the amount of water going through.” The 9-foot tunnel is used most of the time and when more water comes down the river the 23-foot tunnel is opened to help control the flow.
Dillon said the corps will get agreement from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife, the state Department of Fish and Wildlife before going ahead with repairs to the dam. There will also be talks with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and Puyallup Tribe of Indians.
Because of the construction of the backflow dike east of Inlet Island in the spring by PSE, water could not be diverted into the lake until late April, more than a month later than most years.
“Everybody is frustrated, but about the only good thing about this is it's a one-time occurrence,” Stucki said. “There shouldn't be anymore big construction projects (involving the lake) until they rebuild the diversion dam.”
The corps has plans for a new barrier dam and fish trap with an estimated cost of about $35 million. The corps is looking at possible construction date of 2009 or 2010.
Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.
