The New Tribune
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Summer boaters can rejoice: the water in Lake Tapps has officially reached recreation level.
Pierce County’s largest lake measured 541 1/2 feet above sea level on Monday, according to a press release issued by Cascade Water Alliance, the King County-based consortium that owns and operates the man-made lake. The lake was partially drained in the winter to allow for dike repair and dock maintenance, and refilling it proved difficult, said Cascade Board Chair Lloyd Warren.
“March 2010 was one of the driest Marches on record – about 20 percent below the lowest recorded levels,” Warren said. After the White River flows slowed dramatically, the refill level had flattened out at about 535 1/2 feet in mid-March.
Lake Tapps’ water levels will remain between 542 and 543 feet above sea level through the summer, the release said. The traditional start of boating season is Memorial Day.
