Soap Lake proposed for Outstanding Water Resource protections

SOAP LAKE — Soap Lake could be designated for special status and protections, according to an announcement from the Washington State Department of Ecology.

Ecology is proposing to designate Soap Lake as a Tier III(B) Outstanding Resource Water, according to the announcement. This designation, created under the federal Clean Water Act, supports the unique qualities of Washington's largest saline lake and the recreational value it provides.

This level of protection would place extra requirements on new or expanded discharges to ensure pollution from wastewater is kept to a minimum, the announcement said.

Outstanding Resource Waters have exceptional water quality, ecological and recreational values, or unique attributes that distinguish them among state water bodies and warrant special protection, according to the announcement. These waters are assigned additional protections to prevent further degradation except for certain temporary projects or discharges, or to protect public health or property in an emergency.

Soap Lake was nominated jointly by the Soap Lake Conservancy and the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. The nomination noted the lake’s significance to the Moses-Columbia tribe, in whose traditional territory it’s located and also its ecological uniqueness and the changes that have been made to the lake by various human agencies over the years.

“Soap Lake does not have a natural surface outlet, and there are no natural creeks or, streams that supply water to it,” the application letter said. “Aside from precipitation, water historically entered Soap Lake from underground, and possibly through unidentified seepages. Since the 1950s, however, the water flow has been altered by the US Bureau of Reclamation and local Irrigation District activities. Exploration activities and completion of the Grand Coulee Dam in 1942, along with irrigation canals and siphons, altered water flow into and out of the lake. Large volumes of fresh water were added to the lake during 1951-1959 and 1962-1963, thereby diminishing mineral concentrations.”

The Outstanding Water Resource designation would prohibit further degradation of Soap Lake’s water except in temporary or emergency circumstances under WAC 173-201A-330.

Along with Soap Lake, three rivers were proposed as Outstanding Resource Waters: The upper watershed of the Cascade River in Skagit County, the upper watershed of the Green River in Skamania County near Mount St. Helens and the Napeequa River in Chelan County.

Ecology is accepting public comments on the proposed Outstanding Resource Waters designations through Sept. 27, 2023, according to the announcement. A decision will be made sometime in the fall and will probably take effect 31 days later, according to Ecology.

More information can be found at https://bit.ly/43rbOz6.