Lake Tapps Map
Lake Tapps is a reservoir in Pierce County, Washington. It was created in 1911 by Puget Sound Energy and operated for hydroelectric power until it ceased power production in 2004. In December 2009, PSE sold the lake to the Cascade Water Alliance, a nonprofit corporation whose members are five cities (Bellevue, Issaquah, Kirkland, Redmond, and Tukwila) and three water districts (Covington Water District, Sammamish Plateau Water and Sewer District, and the Skyway Water and Sewer District). It provides water to almost 400,000 residents and more than 22,000 businesses. It plans to eventually use Lake Tapps as a municipal water supply source, but not until at least the 2030s or later.
Cascade has signed an agreement with the Lake Tapps homeowners that guarantees full recreational lake levels throughout the summer. It has also signed an agreement with the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe and the Puyallup Tribe of Indians to ensure instream flows for fish. The four cities that surround the lake, Auburn, Bonney Lake, Buckley and Sumner, worked with Cascade to ensure their future water needs will be met for about the next 50 years. Cascade is now the operator of Lake Tapps.
Lake Tapps is about 4.5 square miles (12 km2) in surface area and has about 45 miles (72 km) of shoreline. The local terrain is such that the shape of the shoreline is very complex, with many inlets, peninsulas, and islands. Before the reservoir was created there were several smaller lakes, including one called Lake Tapps. The reservoir is held in place by a series of dikes. The lake is also known to hold many fish including carp, Smallmouth bass, perch, and tiger musky.
Nearby cities include Orting, Des Moines, Maple Valley, Wilkeson, Ravensdale.