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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Field reports: Trashed toilet becomes money pit at Liberty Lake

Garbage fills a large portion of a vault toilet at the Liberty Lake public access site managed by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.  (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)

PUBLIC LANDS – The collective insolence of “litterpigs” at the Liberty Lake public access has forced the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to spend more than three times the normal cost for vault toilet service and pumping.

Instead of just sewage, which workers are equipped to handle, the two toilets were about half full of garbage recently, making the service job particularly nasty.

Daniel Dziekan, the agency’s access manager, said two septic system companies wouldn’t take on the job because of the amount of garbage.

The public paid the price as the state had to spend $1,500 per toilet to the company that finally accepted the job. The cost normally is about $400-500.

On average, Dziekan, who is clearly underpaid at any salary, said he might pick out one or two bags full of garbage from a pit toilet servicing operation.

At Liberty Lake, he collected 35 bags full of poopy pop and beer cans and assorted trash from the two vault toilets.

All state fishing access sites (and most federal facilities) are signed “Pack it in, pack it out,” and toilets have signs in and on them about no garbage in the vault.

“Liberty Lake gets lots of use by non-fishers, such as jet skiers and other recreational boaters, so it takes a lot of $35 Discover Passes to cover the cost of things like this,” said Madonna Luers, department spokeswoman in Spokane.

Carp removal starts

at Lake Spokane

FISHING – A pilot project aimed at thinning out the muck-making infestation of carp in Lake Spokane will begin on Monday.

Avista in partnership with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the University of Idaho will begin removing non-native carp from shallow and weedy areas in the Spokane reservoir behind Long Lake Dam.

Removing carp would improve water quality in Lake Spokane, since the fish stir up bottom sediment in their feeding behavior. The work will occur between the Nine Mile Recreation Area and the McLellan Conservation Area, which is located across from Tumtum.

For about two weeks, anglers and others recreating on Lake Spokane (also known as Long Lake) may see Avista’s carp removal and survey program underway.

Different methods of carp removal will be tested, including electrofishing and gillnets, to determine the best one to use for future work.

Gill nets will be marked with buoys and signs and should be avoided.

Electrofishing will be conducted both during the day and at night, when fish tend to be closer to shore feeding.

Avista is funding the project as part of its federal dam relicensing agreements.

Drawdown set

for Lake Spokane

WATERSPORTS – Lake Spokane will be drawn down from normal levels to accommodate work on the dam, Avista Utilities says.

Starting Wednesday, the water level will be lowered six inches to a foot through September.

Beginning in October, the reservoir will be drawn down three feet.

Plans could change, depending on the construction for upgrading the spillway to reduce dissolved oxygen that can harm downstream fish.