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| Report from Pierce County TV about our Lake Tapps Celebrations |
In the spirit of regional partnership and working toward solutions, the cities of Auburn, Bonney Lake, Buckley and Sumner signed an innovative and unique agreement with the Cascade Water Alliance to ensure the four cities have water to help them meet their water needs over the next 50 years.
The agreement, several years in the making, is the result of regional collaboration following Cascade’s purchase of Lake Tapps from Puget Sound Energy (PSE) for future municipal water supply. It was signed by Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis, Bonney Lake Mayor Neil Johnson, Buckley Mayor Pat Johnson, and Sumner Mayor Dave Enslow. Cascade Water Alliance CEO Chuck Clarke signed the agreement for Cascade.
The signing took place at a meeting of the Lake Tapps Task Force on February 5th attended by over 100 leaders celebrating the saving of Lake Tapps. Joining the celebration were Congressman Dave Reichert (8th District), Congressman Jay Inslee (1st District), Pierce County Executive Pat McCarthy, King County Executive Dow Constantine, Pierce County Councilmember Shawn Bunney, State Senator Pam Roach (31st District), and State Representatives Chris Hurst (31st District) and Dan Roach (31st District), plus many local elected mayors and council members.
Cascade Water Alliance is a nonprofit corporation comprised of five east and south King County cities (Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, and Tukwila) and three municipal districts (Covington Water District, Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District and the Skyway Water and Sewer District). Membership is open to any municipal water supply provider.
Formed in 1999, Cascade purchased Lake Tapps from PSE after it ceased using the lake and White River for hydroelectric power. Cascade will eventually use it for water supply for its members.
Under the landmark agreement, Cascade will leave water in the White River that will be available for the four cities to use when they apply for a water right from the State Department of Ecology. If their water rights are approved, the cities are assured water will be available if and when needed by any of the cities. In addition, the cities will work with Cascade to portion some of its existing water supply now provided by Tacoma Public Utilities.
In addition, Cascade will create a Lake Tapps Municipal Advisory group, consisting of the mayors of the four cities and Cascade members to share issues regarding the management of Lake Tapps.
“This agreement not only ensures Auburn residents they will always have water, it provides communities around the lake input on critical issues,” said Auburn Mayor Pete Lewis. “We are proud of our effort to make sure Lake Tapps remains the wonderful regional asset it is while we provide water for the next several decades for our citizens.”
Cascade Board Chair Lloyd Warren, who has been involved in Cascade since its inception in 1999, agreed.
“Lake Tapps is a wonderful regional asset. We will use it for water supply. It is imperative and important to us to be a part of the community we now operate in, and to ensure those communities thrive, too.”
Cascade also has agreements with the Lake Tapps Homeowners’ Association regarding protection of lake levels and with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and the Puyallup Tribe of Indians ensuring in stream flows in the White River to protect fish. Cascade is completing its 2010 Transmission and Supply Planning, and incorporates these agreements, as well as the recently adopted Four Cities Agreement into the water right application it recently submitted to the Washington State Department of Ecology.
“No one can be certain what will happen in the future,” said Chuck Clarke, Cascade CEO. “But what we do know is that we all need to plan today to ensure water for tomorrow. These agreements, and this regional cooperation, means everyone benefits, and we can work together to protect our water resources.”
View more photos from the celebration >
Download a PDF of the Four Cities Letter and Agreement >
