Soap Lake Conservancy special meeting Saturday
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 months, 1 week AGO
The Soap Lake Conservancy will be holding a special meeting Saturday with several experts from the Bureau of Reclamation, Quincy Columbia Basin Irrigation District and the Washington Department of Ecology.
NANCE BESTON/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
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
Mayor Peter Sharp takes oath of office
SOAP LAKE – Grant County Commissioner Kevin Burgess adminstered the oath of office to Mayor Peter Sharp Wednesday. Sharp was previously appointed to this role at the Sept. 18, 2024, council meeting after his predecessor Allen DuPay quit during the Aug. 7, 2024, meeting.
Newhouse, colleagues introduce infrastructure bill
WASHINGTON D.C. — On November 21, 2025, a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers introduced the Urban Canal Modernization Act, HR 6279, aimed at addressing the deteriorating condition of urban canal infrastructure across the country. This legislation, sponsored by Representatives Dan Newhouse, R-WA; Mike Simpson, R-ID; Adam Gray, D-CA; and Russ Fulcher, R-ID focuses on providing federal support for the extraordinary operation and maintenance of urban canals deemed to be at significant risk of failure. “As communities in Grant County and elsewhere face serious risks from aging canal systems, it is imperative that we act now to ensure vital water infrastructure is maintained and upgraded,” Newhouse wrote in a statement. “The Bureau of Reclamation’s canals are in dire need of repairs, and the surrounding communities who rely on them would be at risk if they were to fail. This legislation provides local authorities with additional resources to manage these critical pieces of infrastructure while protecting the people and property around canals of concern.”
Ephrata water tower waiting for final tests
EPHRATA — The City of Ephrata is still waiting for the final testing to come back to the water tower. The city had originally hoped the tower would be connected to the water system by Thanksgiving; however, the intensive water testing is taking longer than anticipated.