State of Our Lake Meeting Brings Community Together
- Moses Lake Watershed Council
- Sep 25
- 3 min read
Last week, the Moses Lake Watershed Council (MLWC) hosted the annual State of Our Lake meeting, bringing together community members, local agencies, and partners to share updates on the health and management of Moses Lake. Nearly 50 people, both in person and online, joined the discussion, reflecting the strong community commitment to a healthy Moses Lake.
Presenters shared updates on a wide range of ongoing projects and accomplishments. The Grant County Health District discussed the Grant County Healthy Lakes Blue-Green Algae Tracker, which provides weekly updates on water quality in Moses Lake. The Moses Lake Irrigation and Rehabilitation District (MLIRD) reported on water quality, weed harvesting, and recreational activities on the lake. The City of Moses Lake provided an overview of its stormwater division, reporting that over half a million pounds of debris have been removed from roadways, with an estimated 1 million pounds to be removed by the end of 2025.
Grant County Tourism shared a two-page ad in the 2025 Nature’s Playground Travel Planner promoting the MLWC. The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) presented a map of current and future riparian restoration projects along the Crab Creek watershed in partnership with the Columbia Basin Conservation District (CBCD). The Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) participated in a study with CBCD that reported angling and non-angling recreational boating in Moses Lake generated an estimated $3.6 million in direct economic value in 2023. This highlights the important connection between water quality and our local economy. The Bureau of Reclamation (Bureau) provided updates on the Potholes Reservoir Supplemental Feed Route, the dairy restoration site along Crab Creek, and the feed of Columbia River Water through Moses Lake to Potholes Reservoir.
CBCD shared updates on projects such as the Lower Peninsula Park Demonstration Garden, shoreline nutrient assessments, the Heritage Garden program, the new Urban Water Efficiency Program, and the Westshore Septic to Sewer conversion project. They also shared a future project, an update to the Simulation of Groundwater Storage Changes in the Quincy Basin, Washington, a collaborative effort with Ecology, the Bureau, and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).
Reflecting on the event, Ron Sawyer, MLWC Chair and CBCD Conservation Director, said, “It was very exciting to see all of our partners who have worked on behalf of improving Moses Lake in 2025. There is no question their work has paid off with very low total phosphorus numbers and almost no Blue Green Algae present.”
MLWC has been actively engaged in the community over the past year through education and outreach programs. MLWC participated in Trout in the Classroom and the City of Moses Lake’s Mobile Rec Pop-Up Series, along with events such as the Eco-Gardening Symposium, Crab Creek Summit, Grant County Fair, National Night Out, Othello Sandhill Crane Festival, and the Columbia Basin Home & Garden Show.
In response to feedback from last year’s State of Our Lake, MLWC expanded its outreach to reach audiences beyond social media, including running ads in local newspapers. Additional efforts included radio spots, newsletters, website updates, and continued social media engagement.
For more information on the Moses Lake Watershed Council or how you can get involved, visit the Moses Lake Watershed Council website.
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