Pierce County to assess water plan for basin
Published 12:43 pm Thursday, December 11, 2008
By Dennis Box
The Courier-Herald
Pierce County will be gathering and analyzing data on the White River/Lake Tapps basin for an update of its Surface Water Management Plan.
The Pierce County Water Programs Agency will be holding a series of public meetings and collecting information which will be presented to the Pierce County Council.
The first public meeting will be 7 p.m. Jan. 12 at North Tapps Middle School, 20029 12th St. E.
"We are trying to decide what the greatest needs are in the watershed," said Gloria Skinner, Pierce County outreach specialist. "We will gather data on where the basins are now, and make a priority list for improvements."
The basin is a 375-square mile area that includes Lake Tapps and the White River and extends to the edge of Mount Rainier National Park.
The agency will be looking at flooding problems, water quality and wildlife habitat protection. The impact of recreational boating on Lake Tapps will also be analyzed.
Skinner said the agency will work closely with the groups and agencies developing the Lake Tapps Boat Management Agreement.
After assessing the basin, a list of priority actions will be drawn up for the council.
"We collect storm water fees in unincorporated areas," Skinner said. "Our plan will address fees and allocation of those fees. We need a plan in place to make sure we are spending money in the right places."
According to Skinner, completion of the plan will take two years. A private consulting firm based in Tacoma, Brown and Caldwell Inc., will be assisting the staff in collecting the data.
The first phase of the plan will take one year culminating in a "Basin Characterization Report."
The council is also studying the storm water rate structure charged to residents in unincorporated Pierce County. Residential county customers are charged $87 per year. Commercial rates are based on the size of the property and buildings.
The surface water management plan is separate from the rate study. Information from the plan may affect rates or the allocation of funds, according to Skinner.
Dennis Box can be reached at dbox@cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/courierherald.
