By Dennis Box-The Courier-Herald
The Lake Tapps community gathered in force March 25 at North Tapps Middle School to hear and consider the latest information on the future of the lake.
It was neither the first, nor is it likely to be the last, meeting for the community concerning the lake.
Michele Shuler opened the meeting and reminded the more than 300 folks in attendance of the first gathering in February 1999.
“This is important to us,” Shuler said. “We want this lake to be the same 20 to 50 years from now.”
The community meeting preceded another important milestone.
The Cascade Water Alliance board of directors, on March 26, approved an agreement to purchase the lake from Puget Sound Energy, owner of the lake, for $39 million.
PSE has owned the lake for nearly 100 years, using it as a reservoir for its White River hydroelectric plant.
Once the hydroelectric plant was closed due to the high cost of obtaining a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license, converting the lake to a drinking water reservoir looked to be the best course to save the lake.
Cascade Water Alliance offered to buy the lake and convert it into a municipal water reservoir. The alliance is an eastside water utility.
The community's concern centers on the flow regimes, or the amount of water left in the White River after water has been diverted to fill Lake Tapps. The community believes Cascade is seeking flows of 800 cubic feet per second in July and 500 to 650 cfs in August.
The belief among many in the community is Cascade met with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians and Muckleshoot Indian Tribe to set flows that are not backed by scientific data.
Cascade's purchase agreement stipulates a $5 million payment to PSE once the drinking water right is issued by Ecology, if the tribes do not challenge it.
Cascade representatives have consistently maintained the water right is still being worked on and is not final.
However, at this point, there is considerable tension and mistrust of Cascade on the community's part, which was clear at the community gathering.
The Lake Tapps Community Council met with Jay Manning, director of the Department of Ecology March 19 concerning the water right and flows. Manning reassured the council the water right would protect the lake.
While admitting there is a limited water supply, Manning said the flows the department had in its sights would keep the lake at a recreational level for all but 14 days out of 15 years.
At the community gathering, state representatives Chris Hurst, D-Greenwater, and Dan Roach, R-Bonney Lake, along with Pierce County Councilman Shawn Bunney implored the community members to write to Gov. Chris Gregoire and Ecology stating the need for flows the community considers fair to all.
“We've worked hard not to be Chicken Little or cry wolf,” Bunney said. “But we made a bargain with the Lake Management Agreement (with PSE). Cascade is in the process of buying the lake and we don't believe they are following the bargain we struck.”
Hurst pointed out to the group, “we have reached a critical mass on this project. In the next five to six weeks important decisions will be made and the Department of Ecology will act as a judge. In the last two minutes of the 11th hour we think Cascade has come in with different flows.”
Roach noted the final push was ahead and said, “We can take the advantage through the work of the people. Now we are at a point for the final push. We have to do it.”
Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@courierherald.com.
