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Onalaska community and high‑school aquaculture program seek state help after Department of Ecology downgrades Carlisle Lake outlet
Summary
Representatives of the Onalaska Alliance and Onalaska High School told Lewis County's legislative roundtable on Oct. 21 that Carlisle Lake's dam outlet is failing and that state support is needed to keep a high‑school aquaculture program operating.
Representatives of the Onalaska Alliance and Onalaska High School told Lewis County's legislative roundtable on Oct. 21 that Carlisle Lake's dam outlet is failing and that state support is needed to keep a nationally recognized high‑school aquaculture program operating.
Kathy Murphy, a volunteer with the Onalaska Alliance, said the nonprofit and community have restored the lake since buying the property in 2012 and that the site serves recreation and an aquaculture program used by Onalaska High School. "Without that funding, this valuable student program is jeopardized and may not be able to continue," Murphy said in a short video presented at the meeting.
Kevin Hoffman, who leads agricultural and aquaculture instruction at Onalaska High School, described hands‑on workforce training tied to the site and said loss of the dam would end the program. County staff said the Department of Ecology's dam‑safety division downgraded the outlet structure, requiring remediation. Staff and community members presented a two‑phase approach: a phase‑one investigation and conceptual design (estimates reported at $240,000–$300,000) and subsequent design and construction work likely to be larger (county engineers estimated an investigative/design band between $740,000 and $1.5 million; construction could be multiple millions).
When asked about enforcement, county and community speakers said the Department of Ecology has authority under the dam‑safety program to require action; in extreme neglect cases an official said the agency could remove a dam to mitigate hazard. Legislators and county staff suggested pursuing available state funding sources and agency partnerships (including WDFW) and splitting the initial ask into investigation/design and later construction phases given short‑session calendar constraints.
Community presenters said the project also protects downstream property and supports local businesses that benefit from recreational fishing and tourism tied to the lake.
