Riffe Lake Permanently 30' Lower, launches and swim areas to be repurposed

[cavemann]

Has anyone seen this and have any more information on it??  This sucks!!  I've used the launch when it is pretty low but don't know how the new lake levels compare to how low I have launched there in the past..  Loved camping at Mossyrock with the kids.  Great place to camp and fish in the summer, not such a great place if swim area is closed and lake stays down.

From Tacoma Power site:
For public safety reasons, Riffe Lake will be about 30 feet lower than usual for the foreseeable future.

Please note: Due to changes to Riffe Lake levels in 2017, the current swim area will not be usable this summer. We have proposed creating a new swim area, and the process is in the permitting phase. The boat launch is open; two lanes are usable (one to 723 feet, the other to 737 feet). We are exploring temporary and permanent improvements to the boat launch. Construction on permanent improvements would need to take place this winter when the water is at its lowest level.

[Antlershed]

The end of the mossyrock boat launch is about 150 yards from the water. 

[Curly]

That sucks.

[Mudman]

Hmm that will make our free campsite even better.  One year we woke up and almost a ft of water was surrounding TT,  Had to drive thru lake and it was full of driftwood at 5;30 am.  Sucked.

[HntnFsh]

The end of the mossyrock boat launch is about 150 yards from the water. 

The boat launch at Mossyrock park is useable. Just no dock!

[Sumpnneedskillin]

Here's some more info...

Basically due to concerns of what may happen during a 7.5 or greater earth quake they are lowering the level and are looking at possibly doing sesmic retrofits.

http://www.chronline.com/news/earthquake-fears-tacoma-power-plans-prolonged-low-levels-at-riffe/article_b34e4642-f452-11e6-a01f-9bda5b04f57b.html

[Blacktail Sniper]

Get ready for power bills to jump up, since they burried this line in amongst the middle of all the other stuff:

 "The lower water levels will mean a loss in revenue for Tacoma Power since Mossyrock Dam will not be able to generate as much electricity."

Who do you think they will try and recover that loss from???

[BDildine]

Get ready for power bills to jump up, since they burried this line in amongst the middle of all the other stuff:

 "The lower water levels will mean a loss in revenue for Tacoma Power since Mossyrock Dam will not be able to generate as much electricity."

Who do you think they will try and recover that loss from???

TPU already wants to raise rates (Paraphrasing) "because usage at its current rate has dropped due to people conserving energy, we have a budget deficit, so we wanna raise rates"

.....so your saying "save energy", and then when i do and you dont make as much money, raise my prices and cost me the same for less......

[BDildine]

The Taidnapam Park north boat launch already has an adjustable dock that can accommodate shifting lake levels, however, both the Kosmos and Taidnapam Park south boat launches are slated to remain closed at least until modifications to the spillway piers have been completed (Read in, 10yrs w 1 "maybe" functional boat launch......

[crazywednesday]

Get ready for power bills to jump up, since they burried this line in amongst the middle of all the other stuff:

 "The lower water levels will mean a loss in revenue for Tacoma Power since Mossyrock Dam will not be able to generate as much electricity."

Who do you think they will try and recover that loss from???

TPU already wants to raise rates (Paraphrasing) "because usage at its current rate has dropped due to people conserving energy, we have a budget deficit, so we wanna raise rates"

.....so your saying "save energy", and then when i do and you dont make as much money, raise my prices and cost me the same for less......

Your statement is true, but it is not the largest driving force for rate increase. One of the main ways TPU has been able to subsidize rate payers was by purchasing power from BPA for very cheap and selling part what they generate on the wholesale market. The bottom has fallen out of the wholesale market and there is no trend of it picking up. Rate structure is much more complex than two or three variables, and those variables change for many reasons. Some of what the public hears comes from the media, some is word of mouth, and some comes directly from the utility. Regardless of where it comes from, I can guarantee the whole picture is not represented well because it is fairly complicated. Love or hate Tacoma Power, even after the rate increases over next two years, their power is still relatively cheap.

Justin

[bracer40]

The NW region enjoys some of the lowest rates in the country due mostly to hydro-produced electricity. That's one of the reasons so many of the big tech companies have built large data centers in the area...I'm sure tax breaks and land costs came into play as well, but those centers largest variable cost is power.