Lake Chelen water project gets $9M federal funding boost

CHELAN – The Lake Chelan Water Resiliency and Efficiency Project received $9 million in funding authorization through the bipartisan Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024.

President Joe Biden signed the act into law on January 4, 2025, enabling Chelan to pursue competitive funding through the Army Corps of Engineers’ Section 219 program.

This major bipartisan water infrastructure bill is designed to reduce flooding, improve ports, and restore ecosystems. 

The $19 million project will address vulnerabilities in Chelan's water infrastructure, especially on the North Shore, which currently relies on a single booster pump station. A failure at this station could disrupt both the daily water supply and emergency firefighting efforts. 

To mitigate these vulnerabilities, the project will include the construction 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,” city officials said in a press release.