April 26, 2010
Cascade Water Alliance announced today that the levels in Lake Tapps have officially reached full recreational pool of 541.5 feet.
The lake levels will remain between 542 and 543 feet throughout the summer months. While the lake has been drawn down in the winter to allow for dike repair, dock maintenance and milfoil control, refilling the lake this year became more difficult as nature did not cooperate, says Cascade Board Chair Lloyd Warren.
"March 2010 was one of the driest Marches on record ' about 20 percent below the lowest recorded levels" said Warren. "The refill level of Lake Tapps flattened out at about 535.5 feet in mid-March, and we really pushed to fill the lake since then. We had expected to be at full levels by the first week of May but were able to get the levels up by April 26.
Cascade's 2009 agreement with the Lake Tapps Community Council (LTCC) states that Cascade will begin filling the lake in February, which it did, aiming for a full lake by April 15. The 2010 refill began on February 15 in coordination with the LTTC and consistent with the White River Management Agreement (WRMA) with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and Puyallup Tribe of Indians.
Cascade's refill was proceeding on target until March 17 when the White River flows slowed dramatically to a level less than the minimum. Minimum in'stream flows allowed for in the WRMA by other agreements were not met by stream flows so there was no water available for diversion into the lake. The refill level of Lake Tapps flattened out at about 535.5 feet in mid-March. Once precipitation began again at the end of March, lake levels rose. For the most up to the minute levels, visit USGS's Lake Tapps Real Time Lake Levels page.
"Rest assured that Cascade is committed to full recreational lake levels," says CEO Chuck Clarke. "Lake Tapps is a wonderful regional asset and we share with you the desire to have it always at its best."
Cascade Water Alliance is a non-profit corporation, comprised of the cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Tukwila, the Covington Water District and the Sammamish Plateau and Skyway Water and Sewer Districts to provide safe, clean and reliable water to its 370,000 residents and 22,000 businesses. Cascade purchased Lake Tapps from Puget Sound Energy in December, 2009. Puget had operated the lake for hydroelectric power generation for almost a century and stopped power production in 2004.
Report from Pierce County TV about Lake Tapps' Lake Levels
April 2010
"Cascade Water Alliance is committed to filling Lake Tapps to full recreational levels," says Lloyd Warren, Chair of the Cascade Board of Directors. "Unfortunately, nature has produced an abnormally dry year."
March 2010 was one of the driest Marches on record — about 20 percent below the lowest recorded levels. Cascade's 2009 agreement with the Lake Tapps Community Council (LTCC) states that Cascade will begin filling the lake in February, aiming for a full lake by April 15. The 2010 refill began on February 15 in coordination with the LTTC and consistent with the White River Management Agreement (WRMA) with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and Puyallup Tribe of Indians.
Cascade's refill was proceeding on target until March 17 when the White River flows slowed dramatically; to a level less than the minimum Minimum in–stream flows allowed for in the WRMA by other agreements were not met by stream flows so there was no water available for diversion into the lake. The refill level of Lake Tapps flattened out at about 535.5 feet in mid-March. Once precipitation began again at the end of March. For the most up to the minute levels, visit USGS's Lake Tapps Real Time Lake Levels page.
"Rest assured that Cascade is committed to full recreational lake levels," says CEO Chuck Clarke. "Lake Tapps is a wonderful regional asset and we share with you the desire to have it always at its best. As flows in the river get back to normal, the lake will be filled ' hopefully no later than early May."
Cascade Water Alliance is a non-profit corporation, comprised of the cities of Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Tukwila, the Covington Water District and the Sammamish Plateau and Skyway Water and Sewer Districts to provide safe, clean and reliable water to its 370,000 residents and 22,000 businesses. Cascade purchased Lake Tapps from Puget Sound Energy in December 2009.
February 2010
The Lake Tapps' current elevation is about 533 feet.
In late 2009, early 2010, Cascade lowered the reservoir's water level by about 12 to 14 feet. A key goal of the annual drawdown is to kill milfoil in the lake's shallower areas by exposing the lake bottom grass to freezing wintertime temperatures. The annual drawdown is also designed to ensure that waves from severe winter storms do not overtop the reservoir's dikes. This year's drawdown was lower than anticipated to allow for repair work along Dike 10 to be completed.
Refilling of the reservoir began approximately Feb. 15, 2010 with the goal of returning the lake to its full, summer recreational level by mid-April. This schedule may be affected by severe winter weather and flood damage to the White River diversion dam near Buckley. For more information, view Lake Tapps Spring Season Fill is Underway press release
Additional information on recreational Lake Levels can be obtained at the following web sites:
Lake Tapps' Current Water Levels >
