Next community input meeting on July 27. No meetings scheduled in August.

The Capitol Lake/Deschutes Estuary executive workgroup will hold its next regular monthly meeting from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. on Friday, July 22 at the 1500 Jefferson Street building in Olympia.

The meeting topics include:

• Review of the revised draft Purpose and Need Statement.
• Continue the discussion of proposed hybrid options for Capitol Lake.
• Discuss whether the hybrid and other options for the long-term management of Capitol Lake are consistent with the overall goals and objectives.
• Brainstorm components of options.

The July 22 meeting agenda is posted on the Capitol Lake webpage.

The Capitol Lake/Deschutes estuary workgroup recently received community input on whether the draft Purpose and Need Statement is consistent with the previously agreed upon goals for the future management of Capitol Lake. A Purpose and Need Statement is required when developing a proposal or project that will require an environmental impact statement.

The workgroup also learned about community ideas for possible hybrid options – part freshwater or saltwater reflecting pool, part estuary – and will extend the discussion this month to include a managed lake and restored estuary. They will also identify components that could make sense for any option, such as efforts to eradicate the New Zealand mudsnail or improvements to mitigate sea level rise.

After Friday’s meeting, the executive workgroup will not meet again until Friday, September 23. There will be no technical, community or workgroup meetings in August.

The executive workgroup is made up of local and tribal government representatives. The 2015 Legislature directed Enterprise Services to make progress on reaching an agreement about the long-term management of Capitol Lake. The department invited representatives from the Squaxin Island Tribe, cities of Olympia and Tumwater, Thurston County and the Port of Olympia to form a workgroup to assist the department with the legislative directive.

Community Input meeting

The next community input meeting will be held on Wednesday, July 27, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Presentation Room at the 1500 Jefferson Street building. The meeting agenda includes a review of the feedback from the technical committee and executive workgroup on the existing and recently introduced hybrid options, as well as an opportunity to brainstorm components of options. The July 27 meeting agenda is posted on the Capitol Lake webpage.

The executive workgroup is currently seeking community input on whether there are additional elements that should be considered for incorporation into proposed management options, and if the draft Purpose and Needs Statement needs further modification. Input can be provided by completing the online survey on the Capitol Lake webpage. This survey will be open until July 28.

The 1500 Jefferson Street building is located between 14th Avenue SE and Maple Park Avenue SE in Olympia, just south of the roundabout. Get directions.

Enterprise Services manages the 260-acre reservoir known as Capitol Lake as part of the 486-acre Capitol Campus.

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