More than 60 residents and stakeholder from around Lake Tapps took part in a community workshop Jan. 13 to discuss topics for Cascade Water Alliance’s Lake Management Plan.
The plan, which is presently being created to address the issues of residents and lake users, will be finalized in the next few months with plans to be in place by this summer.
At the meeting, attended by public officials from the surrounding cities, including Mayors Dave Enslow of Sumner and Neil Johnson of Bonney Lake as well as County Executive Pat McCarthy and County Councilman Dan Roach, as well as representatives from Cascade, the results of a lake survey and members of the public were encouraged to give their ideas and suggestions of the issues and solutions facing lake residents.
“There’s a lot of issues in how this lake is managed,” said Penny Mabie, a meeting facilitator from EnviroIssues, adding that the officials were just there to listen. “I ask, you talk, they listen. It’s working.”
Mabie said 333 people completed cascade’s survey about the key issues surrounding Lake Tapps, which she called a “very good result.” Of the respondents, 69 percent live on the lake.
According to the results, the top concern among residents is water quality, with 298 people listing it as a top concern. Second on the list was lake level, followed by safety, boat speed and public access to the lake.
During the meeting, residents were asked for other issues they though important and suggestions included milfoil abatement, boat noise, wake issues and animal/habitat concerns.
Attendees were also asked what the key issues to be addressed in a management plan with lake level, water quality and safety again topping the list.
Finally, the audience was asked for their suggestions on how to best address some of the issues. Several suggestions were offered, including a volunteer corps, getting boater and fisherman groups involved, providing a clear guide as to who is in charge of what lake-related issues and making sure members of the community that are not necessarily part of a homeowner’s association are represented.
Cascade Executive Board Chairman Lloyd Warren admitted that many of the issues like safety or parking or boat noise do not necessarily fall under the purview of the lake’s owners, but we topics Cascade hoped to address to be “better neighbors.”
“We felt there were a lot of issues we weren’t responsible for, yet we were asked to resolve,” he said. “The plan is to engage all the stakeholders.”
Cascade Water Alliance bought Lake Tapps in 2009 and 2010 marked its first summer as managers. The plan is to use Lake Tapps as a reservoir to draw drinking water for Eastside cities in the future, though that may not happen for up to 50 years.
After the meeting, Warren said he was pleased with the input.
“We as the new owners are really just a convener for these folks,” he said. “We’re a neighbor now and we want to be great neighbors.”
The next step on the process will be three work group meetings to narrow idea and concerns with the goal of returning to North Tapps Middle School with a draft plan in hand March 16 so it can be finalized and in place in time for the summer recreation season.
For more information visit www.cascadewater.org
