MLIRD supports dredging Moses Lake

MOSES LAKE — Old-timers have seen many changes in the water in Moses Lake since the construction of the Columbia Basin Project in the 1950s. The algae blooms in late summer covered the lake with a blue green slime so anyone playing in the lake came out looking like the monster from the “green lagoon.” Newcomers enjoy a cleaner, healthier lake and the warm waters make this lake a sports person’s paradise.

But Moses Lake has two major problems. The first one is that the lake’s cleaner, clearer water allows the sun to penetrate deeper so water weeds now grow more profusely. The Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District (MLIRD) has worked hard to control this problem with its weed harvesters, and is planning on using some chemical application for weed control in the future.

The second problem is the silt build-up especially at the Crab Creek entrance to Moses Lake at Parker Horn. This silt bar can be seen when the lake is drawn down in November until April on both sides of the Alder Street fill. Hundreds of thousands of cubic feet of sediment have accumulated in the last 60 years. The ash layer from the Mount St. Helens explosion in 1980 is about two feet down the bar is more than six feet thick in many areas. This silt build-up is progressing farther and farther into the lake making problems for homeowners and recreationists alike.

What can be done? The MLIRD believes that removing the sediment build-up is imperative and has been working on this issue for several years, but this issue is quite complex. The MLIRD has hired experts, Gretty and Associates, in order to obtain the permits necessary for this project. We have met with the Departments of Ecology, Fish and Wildlife, Natural Resources, and the Army Corps of Engineers. Native American sites have been examined and endangered species have been identified. It is clear that getting permits to dredge Moses Lake is a daunting proposition, but the MLIRD believes this is a must! We have purchased equipment to do the job. We have a dredge and the pipes needed to suck up the silt. We have boats and trucks to handle the material safely and carefully. We have an agreement to store the silt until it dries out and can be transported to our property at Connelly Park.

The Board of Directors, Richard Teals, Norm Benson and Glenn Rathbone, have made this dredging project its number one priority. We had hoped to start silt removal this August, but it looks like next August will be our starting date. Moses Lake is too valuable to our area to let it silt up and die. We at MLIRD will continue our work to make this lake a beautiful body of water.