CWA ANNOUNCES FALL DRAW DOWN SCHEDULE

Repost from SUE BRENTSON on Lake Tapps Lake Levels

Sue BrentsonTacoma & Evergreen Point • 11 hr ago

Lake Tapps Lake Levels.

Cascade Water Alliance has announced the 2021 Lake Tapps Reservoir fall water level and drawdown plan.

Starting on August 30, no additional water will be added to the reservoir and Cascade will minimize water released from the tailrace. Cascade will use this opportunity to undertake work to inspect and repair, if necessary, the facilities that make up the conveyance system to the reservoir, including the flume, pipeline, 6-foot valve and fish screen facility. The project will improve the reliability and water quality of the water that flows through the conveyance system to the Lake Tapps Reservoir.

The reservoir will briefly rise to just below 543 feet in mid-August. This will allow the reservoir to stay as full as possible through the end of the recreation season on September 30, while maintenance work is being carried out upstream of the reservoir.

Cascade will begin the fall drawdown on November 1 and will bring the reservoir level down to approximately 539 feet for the fall and winter. This drawdown is necessary for the integrity and maintenance of the dikes and to ensure safety from wind, storm, and wave action during the winter months. Residents should watch levels and make appropriate decisions regarding watercraft and other property.

Cascade recommends that residents remove their boats from the water no later than mid-October. Cascade maintains seasonal recreational water levels between elevation 541.5 feet and 543 feet from April 15 to September 30.

The 2022 spring refill is anticipated to begin in mid-February. If residents are planning work on their property, this is a good time to obtain the appropriate, required permits and a Cascade license prior to beginning any work. Further, residents should keep in mind as they do work on their property, especially bulkheads, that Cascade has the authority to raise reservoir levels to elevation 543 feet under current water rights, so any new or modified bulkheads should be built with the consideration that the reservoir level will be up to 543 feet.

For more information about Cascade and Lake Tapps visit www.cascadewater.org and for information regarding licenses for project work visit http://cascadewater.org/lake_tapps_licenses_and_permits.php