Soap Lake Conservancy special meeting Saturday
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 months, 2 weeks AGO
SOAP LAKE — The Soap Lake Conservancy will be holding a special meeting Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with several experts to discuss Soap Lake water levels, data and associated trends.
“There will be a PowerPoint based on the lake,” Soap Lake Conservancy President Judith Gorman said. “These are the hot shots.”
The panel at the meeting will include Marc Maynard and Clyde Lay from the Bureau of Reclamation, Roger Sonnichsen from Quincy Columbia Basin Irrigation District and Jaime Short from the Washington Department of Ecology.
“This is the first time that Conservancy has been able to get them. We have been trying to get them for years,” Gorman said. “They finally have a break in their schedule so that they're able to do it. Of course, the lake is in crisis now.”
Gorman said she and several other members of the community have been concerned about the lake levels declining for several years. She said she has been trying to organize an official meeting, such as the one occurring on Saturday, so residents can know what is happening with the lake.
“Anybody who is a farmer should come,” Gorman said. “Anybody who's interested in the lake and the history of the lake and the current condition of the lake, and I do think that it's been prompted by the fact that the lake is low.”
Gorman said this is an “excellent opportunity” for people to engage with experts to discuss the issues the lake is dealing with.
Soap Lake Conservancy Meeting
June 28
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Soap Lake Community and Senior Center
121 Second Ave. SE, Soap Lake
ARTICLES BY NANCE BESTON
1 arrested after Highway 17 stop; detectives recover fentanyl, firearms
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Street Crimes Unit conducted a traffic stop on Highway 17 near Randolph Road and executed a search warrant Friday morning as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation.
4th-year drought declaration in WA, subtle effects in the Columbia Basin
EPHRATA — Washington’s fourth straight year of drought is expected to hit some regions hard, but in Grant and Adams counties, the impacts will look different – quieter, less visible and centered underground. Statewide, the Department of Ecology issued an emergency drought declaration after a warm winter left Washington with about half its usual snowpack, raising concerns about low summer streamflows, stressed fish populations and heightened wildfire risk. Seven of the past 10 years have included drought somewhere in the state. “If you look at our mountains, the challenge we are facing is clear,” Gov. Bob Ferguson said during a press conference Wednesday. “We’re taking emergency action to protect fish, farmers and communities across Washington.”
Sleep Diagnostic Center to close after doctor’s sentencing
MOSES LAKE — The Central Washington Sleep Diagnostic Center announced it will be closing its doors effective April 30. This includes locations in Moses Lake, Spokane Valley, Brewster and Wenatchee. The announcement follows the March 25 guilty plea from Dr. Eric Edward Haeger, 57, in United States District Court to adulterating and misbranding medical devices with the intent to defraud or mislead, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office. “The adulterations by Dr Haeger show a dangerous disregard for the safety of his patients,” Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said in a statement. “This is a win for patient safety, for protecting public dollars from fraud, and for ensuring citizens of Washington get necessary healthcare. This case exemplifies the great work our team is doing in collaboration with our federal partners to fight fraud and protect Washingtonians.”