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Lake Level information updated October 10, 2007
The Department of Ecology (Ecology) has developed a draft report of exam for a Lake Tapps Public Water Supply Project proposal to help supply the long-range municipal water needs of the Central Puget Sound region, protect salmon and improve water quality, and assist ongoing efforts to preserve Lake Tapps.
If the water supply project is ultimately finalized and issued, Ecology will issue two interrelated water rights and one water right change to Cascade Water Alliance. One of the water rights would be to store water in the Lake Tapps Reservoir and the other would be to divert water from the White River into Lake Tapps to supply water for the Water Supply Project. The water rights change would be issued with these water rights so that the Puget Sound Energy (PSE) hydropower claim could be used for all authorized purposes other than hydropower generation. The 50 year project would give PSE new authority to take an average of 64.6 million gallons of lake water a day for public use by 2053.
The Cascade Water Alliance is a coalition including Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond, and Tukwila, Covington, the Sammamish Plateau and Skyway Water Districts. This alliance is negotiating an agreement to purchase the water right for PSE. The alliance will construct the necessary water treatment and delivery systems to get water from the lake to its members.
The arrangement will help PSE offset the cost of cessation of its 1912 White River hydroelectric project, which created Lake Tapps. PSE stopped hydropower operation in 2004 because of the higher flow requirements for the White River associated with a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission hydropower license.
In 1980, Ecology adopted a rule that closed the White River to new water-right allocations. Therefore, PSE had to demonstrate that the Lake Tapps water-supply proposal would significantly benefit the environment and the public. To satisfy this requirement, the water rights package that Ecology would approve stipulates that PSE must:
Ecology News Release - September 25, 2006 State proposes water rights for Lake Tapps water-supply project OLYMPIA Today the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) proposed a water right that would help supply the long-range water needs of the Central Puget Sound region, protect salmon, improve water quality and assist ongoing efforts to sustain Lake Tapps for many uses.
On September 25, 2006, Ecology posted the draft Lake Tapps Public Water Supply Project report of exam on this Web site for an informal 45 business-day review period. Though this review was not required by law, there is considerable interest in this project.
The Puyallup Tribe of Indians, in its negotiations with Puget Sound Energy, Cascade Water Alliance and the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe, has proposed the an Adaptive Management Plan to be incorporated into the Draft ROE. That proposal is being currently under consideration by Ecology and Pierce County."
Puyallup Tribe of Indians Adaptive Management Flow Proposal - Link to Agreement Dynamics
Save Lake Tapps - October 10, 2007 - Annual drawdown of Lake Tapps' water level to commence November 1, 2007 - includes contact information for information on Lake Tapps water levels.
Information on Water Rights in Washington from the Department of Ecology.
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Lake Tapps Water
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