Grant Co., Moses Lake to cooperate on 2nd lake crossing

EPHRATA — Grant County and Moses Lake city officials will be working together to study the possibility of a second bridge across Moses Lake. Grant County Commissioners and the Moses Lake City Council reviewed a potential interlocal agreement at a meeting Monday. 

Moses Lake Mayor Dustin Swartz said he talked with federal legislators on two projects during a recent trip to Washington, D.C. 

“One being the lake crossing project, the other being related to water,” Swartz said. “Of the two issues that we presented, this one was way more well-received. There was a lot more excitement about it.” 

Moses Lake City Manager Rob Karlinsey said the first task will be an environmental analysis; to pay for that, city officials have requested a $1.5 million federal allocation. The city would contribute about $380,000 as its part of the project. 

The geography means the county’s participation is crucial, Karlinsey said. 

“We are connected through the process the entire way,” he said. “The city would be the lead agency, and you would give us permission to do that, because pretty much all the possible locations are in unincorporated Grant County.”  

Karlinsey emphasized that no potential location has been identified – finding a preferred location will be part of the environmental impact study, or EIS.  

“Both boards, I imagine, would come back together again at some point in the future to agree on the scope of the EIS,” Karlinsey said. “Now, let's say we go through the EIS. It's all done; it’s time to adopt the final EIS with the preferred location identified. That's where both boards, once again, come together and meet and hopefully approve the EIS with a preferred location. What if the two boards can't agree on a preferred location? This language proposes that the county has final say. Why? Because it's in your territory.” 

Director of Public Works Andy Booth said city and county officials need to take maintenance into account when working on the possibility of a second lake crossing. 

“From a public works perspective, I don't know who this bridge would ultimately belong to if it were ever built, but we would not be able to maintain it with the current form of our bridge crew now,” Booth said. “We don't have the equipment, the manpower, anything for a bridge this size.”  

Booth asked who would be responsible for maintenance if the crossing is ever built. Karlinsey said that’s still to be determined, since it’s so early in the process.  

Council members and commissioners decided on an interlocal agreement. Grant County Administrator Tom Gaines said he hoped commissioners could approve the agreement by mid-April.