$9 million authorized for Lake Chelan Water Resiliency and Efficiency Project
information released; photo courtesy of Lake Chelan Boat Company
The City of Chelan extends its heartfelt gratitude to U.S. Representative Kim Schrier, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, and U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell for their support in including a $9 million authorization for the Lake Chelan Water Resiliency and Efficiency Project in the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024. This major bipartisan water infrastructure bill is designed to reduce flooding, improve ports, and restore ecosystems.
President Joe Biden signed the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act into law on January 4, 2025, marking a significant milestone in the journey toward improving water resiliency and efficiency in our city. With the passage and signing of this legislation, Chelan can now apply for competitive funding through the Army Corps of Engineers’ Section 219 program, bringing this ambitious and essential project closer to realization.
The Lake Chelan Water Resiliency and Efficiency Project is critical for safeguarding Chelan’s water infrastructure, particularly on the North Shore.
Currently, the area’s water supply relies entirely on a single booster pump station, which poses significant risks to the community. A failure at this station could disrupt both the daily water supply and emergency firefighting efforts.
This $19 million dollar project will address these vulnerabilities through the development of a 1-million gallon reservoir that will include a new booster pump station to ensure redundancy, pressure-reducing stations to enhance system efficiency and transmission piping to improve water distribution.
Once complete, the improved infrastructure will protect the community during future wildfire threats by ensuring water storage and distribution capacity to support firefighting. Additionally, it will enhance the efficiency of Chelan’s existing water network, improving operational reliability to meet the demands of the City’s growing residential and commercial sectors.
“We are incredibly thankful for the support of Representative Schrier, Senator Murray, and Senator Cantwell,” said Mayor McCardle. “Their efforts have been pivotal to realizing the inclusion of this project in the bill. This initiative ensures Chelan is better prepared for emergencies while supporting our community’s future growth.”
The City of Chelan looks forward to continuing collaboration with federal, state, and local partners to bring this project to fruition.
About the City of Chelan: Chelan is a rural lakeside community surrounded by pristine natural beauty where generations of visitors and residents enjoy an exceptional quality of life.
