WA Floats Funds to Lakebay Marina, Pumpout Washington in Biennial Budget

After 105 days of negotiations with maritime lobbyists, the Washington State Legislature completed its 2023-25 biennial capital budget session in Olympia with more than $3 million in combined funding for boat-centric projects, including renovations of the closed Lakebay Marina and an expansion of the popular Pumpout Washington program to protect Puget Sound waters.

In April, the Legislature passed a bill to set aside more than $1.3 million to refurbish the currently closed Lakebay Marina, located on Mayo Cove near Key Peninsula’s Penrose Point State Park. Approximately $1 million of the funds will be used to replace old underground fuel tanks at the marina, renovate the boat ramps, and rebuild the dock slips, which have been removed. The remaining $300,000 will be set aside for the planned renovations to the marina building itself.

Built in 1884, the marina’s original pier was used by various cargo ships and the vessels of Puget Sound’s Mosquito Fleet of small steamships through the early 20th century. In 1928, the Washington Cooperative Egg and Poultry Association built the warehouse where the marina is now, providing critical local jobs in the farming and maritime industries during the Great Depression. By 1958, when the co-op moved out, the building was converted into a marina, encompassing 18 acres. Over the years, however, the marina slowly fell into disrepair and was closed to the public after becoming a safety hazard.

In 2021, the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) partnered with the Recreational Boaters Association of Washington (RBAW) to buy the marina with funding from the state’s Recreation and Conservation Office. Earlier this year, the marina building was placed on the Pierce County Register of Historic Places.

Once renovations begin, RBAW said it plans to replace the marina’s bulkhead, restore the Mayo Cove shoreline, remove old creosote-treated wood pilings, install gratings to reduce shading, replace the fuel dock, improve landscaping, and generally restore opportunities for boating, sailing, kayaking, and other boating activities with room for 40 to 60 vessels. For these extensive Lakebay renovations, RBAW intends to re-submit a grant application for the next round of the state’s Boating Facilities Program (BFP) to secure more funds. If approved, the BFP money would be generated from state gas taxes paid by Washington boaters.

The Legislature also approved a $1.8 million allocation to expand Washington State Parks’ 10-year-old Pumpout Washington program to ensure vessel operators pump their boat sewage properly in more than 100 certified marinas around Puget Sound. According to RBAW, about $1 million of the funds will be used to identify geographic needs and expand recreational pump-out capacity, while the remaining $800,000 will help establish pump-out operations for commercial vessels at the Port of Anacortes.

In other maritime-related biennial budget news, both houses of the Legislature passed a bill to expand the buffer zone between vessels and Southern Resident orca whales to 1,000 yards to help prevent collisions with the critically endangered sea mammals. As covered in NWY’s June issue, Gov. Jay Inslee signed the orca bill into law, which will become effective on January 1, 2025. The Legislature also passed two bills (SB 5433 and HB 1753) that would empower the state to purchase and remove derelict aquatic structures and vessels to protect the marine environment and native species habitat.

For a detailed recap of the session, read RBAW’s full newsletter found at: rbaw.org/Legislative-Issues