Cascade Water Alliance has announced the 2019 Lake Tapps drawdown.

As residents can tell, the reservoir is at full recreation levels. No new water will be added and the reservoir will begin to slowly float down, the rate of which will depend on rainfall. Residents should watch levels and remove their boats from the water at the latest by mid-October.

To allow Pierce County to do upgrades to its bulkhead at North Tapps Park, Cascade will actively lower the reservoir level in early November to an approximate elevation of 538 feet, where the reservoir will stay until Dec. 26. Then the level will drop quickly to about elevation 535 feet for the park project work, which should take about six weeks. The 2020 fill is anticipated to begin in mid-February.

If residents are planning work on their property, this is a good time to obtain the appropriate, required permits and a Cascade license prior to beginning any work. Further, residents should keep in mind as they do work on their property, especially bulkheads, that Cascade has the authority to raise reservoir levels to elevation 543 feet under current water rights, so any new or modified bulkheads should be built to at least elevation 544 feet. Cascade raises the reservoir to 543 feet once a year for a day or so as a reminder.

For more information, visit cascadewater.org and cascadewater.org/lake_tapps.