LYNNWOOD — Relief could be on the way soon for homeowners around Lake Serene who have watched warily since January as water levels have risen because of a blocked drain pipe.
Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers on Monday declared an emergency and authorized public works crews to start work immediately to keep the lake from getting any higher. The County Council set a hearing date for next month that could bring about a permanent fix.
Construction could start as soon as this week.
“I think that’s wonderful if we can keep the levels from getting any higher — especially with the spring rains coming — and give all of us more peace of mind,” said Debbie Bly-Olsen, who has been using sump pumps for the past month or so to keep the ground floor dry inside her lakefront home.
Lake Serene has gone up about 3 inches since early February. There’s the potential for things to worsen by mid-week, with the National Weather Service forecasting a 90 percent chance of rain Wednesday.
The surface of Lake Serene covers more than 40 acres west of Highway 99 in unincorporated county north of Lynnwood.
Longtime residents say lake levels have been rising more often in recent years. Some blame urban development around them as well as a potential blockage in the lake’s drainage system.
The lake, as of Monday, was just 2.5 inches below the previous record high in 2014.
It’s normal for the lake to go up and down a few feet every year.
While adjacent homeowners worry about flooded basements and ruined landscaping, the county has concerns about potential damage to Serene Way and a fire station on the west end of the lake. That’s why government officials are eager to tackle a drainage problem on private property.
The situation became more urgent in January. Lake levels receded slowly, even during a stretch of unseasonably dry weather.
“The reason I’m here today is because circumstances have changed,” Will Hall, the county’s surface water management director, told the County Council on Monday.
The failing outflow pipe was built about 50 years ago on private property. It’s about 300 feet long.
County drainage inspectors have not diagnosed the exact problem, despite using underwater cameras. They noted very little water flowing from the far end of the pipe. That makes them suspect that it’s blocked or has collapsed.
The emergency fix would be built on public property next to the boat launch on the west end of the lake.
“This fix will not restore the lake levels they are accustomed to,” Hall said.
A longer-term solution to accomplish that would require 95 property owners around the lake to chip in for the cost of repairs. That would require a new yearly payment of $197 per tax parcel over the course of 10 years.
A council hearing about that plan is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. March 22.
The emergency fix would build out the first phase of the permanent solutions. County engineers estimate it would cost about $850,000. Work would continue at least through the summer and could stretch into next year.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465; nhaglund@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @NWhaglund.
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