Commissioners approve resolution of intention to reestablish Long Lake Management District No. 25

The Thurston County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously Aug. 5 to adopt a resolution of intention to establish Long Lake Management District No. 25, a step toward continuing lake management activities that residents and county staff say prevent algae blooms and invasive aquatic plants from degrading Long Lake.

Stuart Whitford, environmental health program manager, told the board the petition to form the district met the statutory criteria in the state RCW, including petitions signed by more than 20% of property owners in the proposed district boundaries. Whitford described the lake’s management history: milfoil infestations discovered in the 1980s were addressed by an earlier district and state grants, and the current steering committee and county staff have carried out monitoring, treatment and rapid response work for years.

Mike Ochsner, chair of the Long Lake steering committee and a longtime resident, said that rapid response capability was critical: when milfoil was found again about 30 days ago, the district was able to treat it within 30 days. “By 1990, Milfoil was completely eradicated from Long Lake using monies from state grants and voluntary taxes by the residents of the lake,” Ochsner said. He and other residents urged the board to continue the district to preserve the lake’s recreational and ecological values.

Other residents who testified included Eric Casino, a Long Lake resident who asked the board to support the district and emphasized the need to meet tax-collection timelines so the district does not lose a year of funding; Steve Mower, a resident and district committee member who described ongoing volunteer monitoring and treatment; and Vicki Tuvie, a 23-year lake resident who credited the committee’s education and stewardship work with improving lake health.

Commissioners closed the public hearing and moved to approve the resolution of intention. The commissioners then set the next step: scheduling a public hearing for findings and determinations (the resolution of findings) to continue the formation process. County staff and district representatives said they are working to meet tight timelines so the new district can be on the tax roll without losing a year of funding.

Whitford and residents highlighted key management priorities: monitoring water clarity and toxin levels, responding rapidly to invasive plant detections, maintaining public-safety buoys, and reducing internal phosphorus sources that can fuel algae and cyanobacteria. Whitford noted that Long Lake has not had a toxin-producing cyanobacteria problem in the last 18 months, and that continuing structured, funded management helps prevent reversion to poor water quality.

The resolution of intention carried by unanimous voice vote. No ordinance or levy was adopted at the meeting; the resolution begins the statutory process under state law that includes subsequent findings, formation steps, and eventual voter notice or tax roll placement as required by the applicable statutes and county rules.