  |
|
|
Department of Ecology News Release - September 25, 2006
06-195
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.
The proposal is open for public review in a 45-day public comment period.
Using Lake Tapps as a water supply reservoir to retain the lake was the preferred option from the Lake Tapps Task Force. In 2004, PSE stopped hydropower operations at its Lake Tapps facility as a result of licensing conditions that affected the economics of the project.
Puget Sound Energy (PSE) applied for two interrelated water rights, in addition, to create the water supply project. One of the new water rights would authorize diverting water from the White River into Lake Tapps. The second related water right would authorize the storage of the diverted White River water in the Lake Tapps Reservoir.
PSE and the Cascade Water Alliance, which is a consortium of cities and water suppliers in the Central Sound, are negotiating agreements that would allow the alliance to purchase these water rights and PSE's Lake Tapps facilities.
Together, the proposed applications, if approved, would provide a new water source for a number of cities, public utility districts and other water suppliers between Tukwila and Redmond.
The water supply project is expected to supply the future needs of Cascade Water Alliance customers for the next 50 years beginning in 2024. The water right proposals would authorize an average of 64.6 million gallons of lake water a day for municipal water supply by 2053. The alliance would construct the necessary water treatment and delivery systems to get water from the lake to its members.
Cascade Water Alliance members include Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond, Tukwila, Covington, the Sammamish Plateau and Skyway Water Districts.
The proposed water rights stipulate that PSE must:
"These water right decisions, when finalized, will be a rare and creative example of how to create a very large regional water supply and simultaneously enhance environmental conditions," said Ecology Director Jay Manning. "This decision has been years in the making and has been markedly improved by input from many interested parties. The proposed water right approvals provide built-in flexibility so components of the complicated project may be changed as future needs require."
According to Shawn Bunney, chair of the Pierce County Council and co-chair of the Lake Tapps Task Force, "This water right is needed to save Lake Tapps and meet the interests of all stakeholders. I am cautiously optimistic and looking forward to working with the Department of Ecology, the Tribes, the resource agencies, partnering governments and the community to finalize a settlement."
Ed Schild, director of energy production for Puget Sound Energy said, "For more than seven years Puget Sound Energy and others have worked hard to preserve the many public benefits of Lake Tapps and protect fish in the White River. Once this water right is final, we'll have taken a major step toward achieving that goal."
Ecology will be accepting comments on the proposed water rights through November 27. The proposal is called a "Draft Report of Examination" and is posted on-line at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wr/swro/lktappshome.html On-line comments may be submitted to Ecology at this from this site.
# # #
Contact: Sandy Howard, public information manager, 360-407-6239
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
