Who is responsible for the existing lake?

The Washington State Department of Enterprise Services (DES) is responsible for the stewardship, preservation, operation, and maintenance of the resource. Enterprise Services maintains Capitol Lake as part of the Capitol Campus under a long-term lease agreement with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

What is the Capitol Lake - Deschutes Estuary Long-Term Management Project?

A long-term plan is needed for managing this important resource. Developing a long-term management plan involves three phases.

• Phase 1: In 2016, representatives from local and tribal governments, coordinating state agencies, and the community joined Enterprise Services to identify common goals for long-term management of the resource. Phase 1 was completed in 2016, satisfying the objectives in a 2015 legislative proviso.
• Phase 2: Develop a project-specific Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that evaluates potential alternatives and identifies a preferred alternative for long-term management. See the EIS project website.
• (We are here) Phase 3: Funding, design, permitting and construction of the selected long-term management alternative.

What are the objectives for the long-term management of the Capitol Lake - Deschutes Estuary?

In 2016, DES, in collaboration with stakeholders, identified the following objectives for long-term management of Capitol Lake - Deschutes Estuary:

• Improve water quality
• Manage sediment accumulation and future deposition
• Enhance ecological functions
• Restore active community use