Reichert Secures Federal Funds for Mount Rainier, City of Buckley
Washington, D.C.,
Jun 10, 2009 -
Congressman Dave Reichert (WA-08) today announced funding for Mount Rainier and the City of Buckley that was included in legislation being prepared for consideration in the House of Representatives. Congressman Reichert requested these funds which will improve access to the parks at Mount Rainer, and improve water availability in case of emergency for the City of Buckley.
“Both of these projects are important to this district and to the areas they will serve,” said Reichert. “Mount Rainier, with this boost, will be able to handle a higher capacity of visitors to access the park and appreciate the natural beauty of the mountain. Local communities also benefit from increased tourism. I am also pleased to see the funding for the City of Buckley, so in the case of an emergency they will have access to a clean water supply. As these projects move through the Congressional process, I will continue to work for their completion in the final legislation.”
Reichert successfully secured funding for the following projects:
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FY2010 Interior – Environment Appropriations
Requesting Entity
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Amount
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Link to more information
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City of Buckley – Construct an emergency intertie booster station
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$333,850
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disclosure forms
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Mount Rainier, Carbon River Gateway
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$2,150,000
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disclosure forms
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For more information on Congressman Reichert’s district project requests, visit: http://reichert.house.gov/projects/.
Background:
Mount Rainier Project
The Carbon River Road has frequently been washed out, preventing visitors from reaching the Ipsut Creek campground and picnic area, as well as day-use parking for access to the Carbon Glacier and Wonderland Trail. To address this problem, and to eliminate the considerable maintenance costs necessitated by the frequent flooding, Congress passed an expansion of the park’s northwestern boundary three miles along the Carbon River Valley. The addition of these lands will allow the National Park Service to establish a new campground with associated roads and parking, new hiking trails, and riverfront fishing areas. The expansion will also afford much needed protection to the beautiful Carbon River Valley, conserving habitat for endangered and threatened species. The valley contains one of the last inland old-growth rainforests in the United States, and connects wildlife corridors from the park to Puget Sound. Among the property included within the newly expanded park boundary is the 240-acre Carbon River Gateway. This parcel lies adjacent to Forest Service lands that link current Park Service lands with the privately-owned parcels within the expansion area.
City of Buckley Project
The City of Buckley will construct an emergency intertie booster station to allow the City to use water from the City of Tacoma in an emergency. The City of Tacoma water system in this area operates with a hydraulic grade line of 810 feet. The City of Buckley water system operates with a hydraulic grade line of 882 feet. Therefore the booster station is required to overcome a static head of approximately 72 feet. The City’s largest water source is the S. Prairie Creek surface water source. The City’s water right for this source is 900 gpm. To allow the system to operate effectively with the S. Prairie Creek source out of service, the booster station will have a capacity of 900 gpm. The booster station will be constructed in right-of-way in a location close to existing City of Buckley and City of Tacoma water infrastructure.
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