Bill Funk Resigns From Water Post

Thu., Aug. 26, 1999

Pat Sciuchetti Staff Writer

A long-time Liberty Lake advocate has retired from his position as director of Washington State University Water Research Center.

Bill Funk has spent more than 30 years studying the water quality of Liberty Lake and pushing for its restoration. He was involved in many contentious battles, including the one waged over constructing a sewer system at Liberty Lake in the 1970s.

“He took a lot of flak over a period of time,” said Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District commissioner Frank Boyle. “It was way beyond a job for him.”

Funk, a civil engineering professor, has spent the last three decades on lakes, in labs and in congressional hearings. He frequently brought his students to Liberty Lake to collect water samples, but he also took them to committee hearings where he argued for more funding for lake and river restoration.

“He was instrumental in getting funding for federal and Washington state clean lakes programs,” said Allen Moore, an environmental specialist with the Washington state Department of Ecology. Without that funding, Moore said, many restoration projects in this state, including Liberty Lake, might not have happened.

“He’s been a great advocate,” Moore said. “He’s never backed down.”

One of his last projects was traveling to Taiwan in May to set up a new water research center. Then he went on vacation - his first two-week vacation in 30 years.

Although officially retired, Funk is easing slowly out of his duties. He’ll continue monitoring Liberty Lake through the end of the year, and working with several of his students.

Liberty Lake officials send water samples to Funk monthly, from five areas in the lake. Each year, he’s advised them on the lake’s health, and on ways to improve it.

This year, Liberty Lake is experiencing its worst algae bloom in 11 years. District officials are trying to get the lake’s clogged drainage ditch cleaned out. If that doesn’t help, and if the situation doesn’t improve within a year or so, Funk has recommended they consider an aluminum sulfate treatment.

Liberty Lake Sewer and Water District officials hope to find a replacement for Funk early next year. They’ll probably look for a biologist or other qualified researcher from one of the region’s colleges.

For his part, Funk plans to spend his retirement flying his airplane, visiting with his grandson and spending some off-duty time boating on Northwest lakes and rivers.

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