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A bit dated but has much background info on what's going on!
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• Capitol Lake is in trouble
• Objective of Capitol Lake Committee 10-year Management Plan: “Complete an estuary feasibility study to determine a long-range management decision”
• Study to provide objective, scientific information for impartial decision on the long-term management of Capitol Lake
Why is the study needed?
Why the study is needed?
• We need this information to make a decision about the basin’s future.
• We have more than 50 years of data on a lake environment, but virtually no information on how an estuary might
function within the Capitol Lake basin.
• The Estuary Feasibility Study is designed to fill this data gap.
• NOTE: Undertaking the study does not mean a decision has been made about the future of the basin.
What are the options for Capitol Lake?
• Fresh Water Lake – This option will require extensive dredging of the middle basin now and the middle and north basins every year into the future. Last dredging was in 1986.
• Fresh Water Marsh – This option is the “Do Nothing” alternative. Capitol Lake will continue to fill with sediment creating shallow wetland habitat.
• Tidal Estuary – This option is what will be evaluated under this study. Is it feasible to restore an estuary within a highly developed urban community?
• Combined Lake/Estuary – This option may result from alternative estuary designs with an area for fresh water created within the basin.
• Sediment is filling in Capitol Lake
• Poor habitat and water quality
• Noxious weeds infest the lake and shoreline
What are the problems with the lake?
• Deschutes River dumps 20,000 to 57,000 cubic yards of sediment into the lake each year
• Lake volume has decreased 26% since 1951
• Capitol Lake is turning into a freshwater marsh
How much sediment is there?
Courtesy The Olympian
What is wrong with the lake’s water quality?
• High levels of phosphorus, which can increase algae blooms
• Contamination from more than 80 stormwater outfalls
• High water temperatures in summer that harm fish and wildlife
• A warm, shallow lake is a perfect place for noxious weeds to grow, such as Eurasian watermilfoil
What are the goals of the feasibility study?• Increase our understanding of the estuary alternative - to a
level equal to that for the management of Capitol Lake.
• Determine if it is possible to create a viable, self-sustaining estuary - given all the existing physical constraints and the urban setting.
• Create an objective analysis of the costs and benefits of the estuary alternative - in terms of social and environmental issues.
• Provide the completed study to the CLAMP Steering Committee.
What will be studied?
• Hydraulic and Sediment Transport Analysis: Determine where sediment would go if an estuary was restored. What would be impacts of sediment moving from the lake into Budd Inlet?
• Capitol Lake Bathymetry Study: Survey the bottom of the lake.
• Reference Estuary Study: Examine other Puget sound estuaries to determine how they function.
• Biological Considerations: What type of habitat will form, and how long will it take?
What will be studied? (continue)
• Design Alternatives: Use studied data to develop feasible design alternatives. A large portion of the original estuary has been filled. It is not as simple as removing the dam.
• Net Benefit Analysis: Compare the benefits and costs of restoring the estuary, dredging the lake, or doing nothing. Consider the community values and infrastructure replacement costs and impacts.
• Independent Technical Review: The final data, reports, and recommendations will receive scientific peer review.
How much will the study cost?• Working estimate: $900,000
How much money is available now?
General Administration$232,500
Ecology $32,000State Fish & Wildlife
$22,000City of Olympia
$20,000Port of Olympia
$10,000Puget Sound Action Team
$30,000Salmon Recovery Funding Board
$222,000
TOTAL: $568,500Cash & in-kind support
$900,000
$0
$568,500
What are other possible funding sources?
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• LEGISLATURE
How much is the Legislative budget request?
• $222,000 Multi-Agency Budget request submitted by the Department of Fish and Wildlife
• This money ($222,000) will fund the design alternatives and the net benefit analysis.
Courtesy The Olympian
What is being done now?• Implement initial study tasks as funding becomes
available
• Seek additional opportunities to fully fund the study through grants, appropriations, and local resources
• Support Ecology’s water cleanup study of Capitol Lake and Budd Inlet
USGS staff conducting the bathymetric survey
CLAMP Review & Adoption Process
CLAMP - Steering Committee
- The Squaxin Island Tribe State Departments of:- City of Olympia - General Administration- City of Tumwater - Fish and Wildlife- Thurston County - Natural Resources- Port of Olympia - Ecology
Director of General Administration
Robert Fukai
State Capitol Committee
- Governor - Lieutenant Governor- Secretary of State - Lands Commissioner
Questions/Comments?
“We don't know if the estuary is a viable option. Without the research, we will never know.”
General Administration Director, Rob Fukai
Contact: Perry J Lund
Project ManagerCapitol Lake/Deschutes RiverEstuary Restoration Feasibility StudyPhone: 360-407-7260Fax: 360-407-0284 Email: plun461@ecy.wa.gov
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