Title
Capitol Lake
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Discuss and provide guidance. Staff continues to recommend the language currently in the draft Comprehensive Plan shown in italics below.
Report
Issue:
Whether the draft Comprehensive Plan policies provide adequate guidance on the future management needs of Capitol Lake.
Staff Contact:
Andy Haub, Water Resources Director, Public Works, 360.753.3795
Rich Hoey, Public Works Director, 360.753.8495
Presenter:
Rich Hoey, Public Works Director
Background and Analysis:
The Washington State Department of General Administration (now Enterprise Services) organized the Capitol Lake Adaptive Management Plan Steering Committee in 1997 to help guide the management of the Capitol Lake basin. Representation on the Committee was broad including an Olympia City Councilmember.
Key issues associated with the lake include sedimentation, water quality, aesthetics, flooding, invasive species, public access, and recreation.
After many years of study, four Capitol Lake management alternatives were selected by the Steering Committee in 2008 for detailed analysis:
Status Quo: Describes the lake as if present conditions and management actions continue into the future.
Managed Lake: Describes the condition if a freshwater lake is maintained in the future.
Estuary: Describes basin conditions if the 5th Avenue dam was removed and tides were reintroduced.
Dual-Basin Estuary: Describes the basin with both a tidal influenced estuary and a reflecting pool adjacent to Heritage Park.
In mid-2009, Olympia City Council discussed the four alternatives. Council emphasized the importance of the basin to Olympia. Rather than selecting a preferred management alternative, City Council documented City interests in a letter to the State (See attached).
The evaluation of Capitol Lake continues. The Washington Department of Ecology is working on, but has not completed, further evaluations of Budd Inlet, South Puget Sound, and Capitol Lake. Additionally, the Washington Department of Enterprise Services is working with the UW/WSU William D. Ruckelshaus Center on potential stakeholder processes for Capitol Lake decision-making. The Center has a solid reputation for providing insight and options around difficult policy issues. The City will participate in the stakeholder process as it evolves.
The draft Comprehensive Plan includes a specific policy related to Capitol Lake:
PN4.4: Support the process for determining a balanced and sustainable approach to the management of Capitol Lake; participate when the opportunity is available as a party of significant interest in the outcome.
The policy emphasizes the importance of a thoughtful and collaborative process in determining the future of the basin. Olympia staff will monitor evolving Capitol Lake work efforts and participate as appropriate.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
None at this time.
Options:
1. Maintain proposed policy in the draft Comprehensive Plan.
2. Modify draft policies to better reflect community interests.
Financial Impact:
None at this time.