SOAP LAKE - Soap Lake is one of several cities in Grant County taking steps to update shoreline regulations.

Washington's Shoreline Management Act of 1971 required cities and counties to create a Shoreline Master Program (SMP), a set of rules pertaining to the 200-foot area surrounding any large bodies of water within their boundaries.

Soap Lake last updated their SMP in 1974, according to city planner Darryl Piercy, who said the city has been discussing the need to revise the regulations for more than a year.

"Frankly that's just way, way too long between look-sees at this type of document," he recently told Soap Lake City Council members.

Grant County has more freshwater shoreline than any other county in the state, according to Soap Lake Mayor Wayne Hovde, who said planning to protect the future of the city's namesake is "very important and is long-lasting."

To maximize the use of state funding resources, Piercy explained the city will join forces with the county and five nearby cities - Grand Coulee, Electric City, Wilson Creek, Coulee City and Marlin - using a common template to develop individual programs for each jurisdiction.

The Soap Lake City Council last week authorized Hovde to sign an interlocal agreement with other members of the consortium subject once a project consultant has been chosen and the scope of work outlined. The county will act as the lead agency on the project and the state Department of Ecology will lend some development assistance throughout the process, ultimately reviewing and approving a final plan, Piercy said.

"Overall I think it's an excellent approach," he said; adding the state allocated $600,000 for the group SMP. "If we were to do this alone we would get $50,000. The problem is that we couldn't do it for that. A lot of technical expertise is required for this."

The agreement will allow for local control and input on part of Soap Lake or any other member of the consortium while avoiding duplication of efforts, he said.

Ecology shoreline planner Jaime Short said she appreciates Soap Lake's willingness to take the project on as part of a group.

"No one has enough resources to do this as we would all wish," she said. "There's a state requirement to coordinate with surrounding jurisdictions and it seems to make sense to work together on this project."

In comparison to other cities in Grant County, Short said Soap Lake has a unique set of circumstances when it comes to managing its shorelines.

"You have such a variety of interests," she told council members. "People come here from all over the place. Locals and tourists need to be drawn into the process."

It's a process that could take awhile, Short added.

"You may have heard that these master program updates are somewhat contentious," she said. "There are aÊlot of difficult and complex subjects that we're going to need to discuss over the next couple of years."

She encouraged the council to work at getting their neighbors involved.

"We want to get people engaged early and often," she said.

For more information on Shoreline Master Programs planning process, visit www.ecy.wa.gov.