MOSES LAKE - Clean water matters when it comes to property values, which can trigger economic growth.

The concept was stressed at the Moses Lake Rehabilitation and Irrigation District forum about Moses Lake in Big Bend Community College's ATEC Center.

To prove his point, event speaker BiJay Adams, of the Liberty Lake Water and Sewer District, cited a 1996 study "Water Quality Affects Property Prices: A Case Study of Selected Main Lakes."

"A 1 meter drop in clarity caused real estate values to plummet by 10 to 15 percent and economic loss to a neighboring town by 5 percent," according to the study.

Clean lakes "increase property values, contribute to the economic status of entire communities and add to their intrinsic aesthetic value," according to Adams.

Adams is the lake protection manager and water resource manager at Liberty Lake, 2.5 miles east of Spokane Valley.

Adams shared details of restoration activities at Liberty Lake, which included a dredging project in 1980 and treatments in the 1970s and 1980s for microcystic anemone.

At one point, he said blooms in the lake were so bad, they shaded aquatic plants from the sun.

The condition of the lake is related to the local economy.

Former Gov. Mike Lowry talked about how the governor is the salesman for the state to encourage companies to expand and move here.

"What do we sell?" Lowry asked. "Hopefully, good regulations."

Moses Lake is "great for that" and offers strong education with Big Bend Community College, Lowry said.

Every state Washington competes against has strong education and good regulations.

Moses Lake has the chance to surpass competitors when it comes to quality of life.

"This is why this lake forum is so important," he said. "They may not have our quality of life or potential for quality of life."

In a close call between states, companies will select a place offering a great quality of life for their employees, Lowry said.

Rep. Judy Warnick, R-Moses Lake, talked about the history of the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District, which manages Moses Lake, and the state's involvement.

Moses Lake should be a local issue, she said.

The first water rights application for Moses Lake occurred with the state in 1928. The water was used for irrigation purposes.

The state isn't in a position to increase funding, but it is important to keep Moses Lake on the radar.

Through Gov. Lowry's work, it can be done with the Washington Wildlife Recreation Program, she said. The program has helped keep the quality of life.

Funding is typically sent toward the Puget Sound area, as Moses Lake is fairly small and water bodies in Western Washington receive more attention because of what they offer.

Warnick said she is not a fan of over regulation, but thinks there needs to be a balance.

"Bringing in folks to look at wildlife and water quality is a must," she said.

Coordinating with state agencies is important.

"If we can work with these agencies, we can do it from here," Warnick said. "We need the ability to keep ourselves as a district, as a community, on track to do what Liberty Lake has done with the help of the state."

She congratulated the Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District employees and board for their work improving Moses Lake.

"There's a huge difference in the water quality" she said. "In the past, no one wanted to live on Moses Lake."

Jonathan Smith, incoming director of the Grant County Economic Development Council, said high property values are somewhat of a detriment to economic development.

It's harder for companies to relocate to an area if the cost of living is higher than other places, he said.

Moses Lake and Grant County remain a viable choice as there is diversity in home pries.

There are properties on the lake and some affordable houses in neighborhoods for families, he said.

Lake quality is important, he said.

"I think of the lake as a baby when a baby has a stinky diaper, it always goes back to its mom," Smith said.

When the lake is stinky, no on wants to be around it.

If a company doesn't say anything during a tour of Moses Lake, it's an indicator the lake is meeting their standards.

When Genie came to Moses Lake, there was an excess of Genie employees wanting to move to Grant County from the company's location in Western Washington.

A lot of that quality of life centers around the lake, Smith said.

Jeff Foster, president of the Moses Lake/Othello Realtor Association, said we have a similarity in average home values, as compared to Post Falls, Idaho and Spokane.

As the other speakers said, the quality of life and what the lake brings to quality of life has a bigger impact, he said.

"We've seen here in the last three to four years, a decline in values from outside influences," he said.

When Foster attends events outside the area, he's found our area is "in the bubble."

"We don't have the 40 to 50 percent foreclosures and bank owned properties that they have in the King and Pierce counties," he said.

There are still good jobs, opportunities, reasonably priced houses and vacant land here, Foster said.

It is to the point to where if we continue to monitor Moses Lake, values will return. Foster expects Moses Lake to return to lake front prices and home prices seen from 2006-2008.