A plan to build a reservoir large enough to serve the community of Ryderwood during times of drought has just been approved to receive federal funding.
U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez requested $1.6 million for the Ryderwood Drought Resiliency project for this fiscal year, which would fund the construction and operation of a water storage facility for the 55-plus community.
In 2018, Campbell Creek suffered a dry spell. The creek is the main source of water for Ryderwood, which is about a 6-mile drive from Vader. Residents were urged to conserve water during this period, and while the creek did begin flowing again, there was still concern from the nearly 500 residents that they could face a shortage again.
The reservoir will be used to store water from the creek, and is intended to be fed into the water treatment plant in times of drought.
As a fire safety precaution, Cowlitz-Lewis Fire District 20 showed its support for the project.
“Within the wildland urban interface, it is often difficult to protect private residence and property and reduce the spread of wildfires,” Fire Chief Richard Underdahl said in a news release.
If the water supply runs dry, water must be trucked to the location for use in firefighting, which Underdahl said can cause delays in putting out fires.
