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Council and residents press for clearer limits on removing water from Soap Lake
Summary
Councilmember Gorman urged a prohibition or permitting pause on removing water from Soap Lake and said she would consult state and federal agencies; public commenters also urged stopping lake pumping during droughts and presented USGS water-level data.
During Old Business Councilmember Gorman asked the council to review past policy and consider a resolution to prohibit removal of water from Soap Lake. Gorman said she would like the council to pass a resolution "making it illegal to remove water from the Lake" and suggested a five-year hold on permitting lake water usage while the City seeks guidance from outside agencies.
Gorman told the council she would consult the Bureau of Reclamation, Columbia Basin Irrigation and the Department of Ecology and confer with the City Attorney before bringing the matter back for further discussion. In public comment, Carl Chaney urged the City to stop pumping water from the lake, particularly during declared droughts, and Colleen Long distributed USGS water-level information and pointed to a correlation between lake levels and irrigation from Benchmark Farms.
The City Attorney cautioned in the discussion that enforcement options may be limited and that legal clarity is needed before the council adopts an enforceable prohibition. Councilmember Gorman asked that the item be returned to a future agenda after staff and the attorney gather additional information.
