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is a reservoir in Pierce County, Washington. It was created in 1911 and is maintained by Puget Sound Energy. A diversion dam on the White River, near Buckley, Washington, routes water into a flume which empties into the east side of Lake Tapps. On the west side of the lake water is routed to the "Dieringer Powerhouse" to generate hydroelectricity, after which the water is returned to the White River, about downstream from the diversion dam. The level of the lake is lowered from October to April for flood control purposes, rendering it unusable for recreation half of the year.
At the diversion dam on the White River there is a fish trap, which catch salmon migrating upstream. The fish are driven by truck and released upriver of Mud Mountain Dam, which blocks salmon migration. This technique is called a "trap and haul system".
Since the creation of Lake Tapps, housing developments have been built around it. Recently, Puget Sound Energy has considered shutting down the project as unprofitable. Local residents have organized efforts to maintain the lake as it is even if Puget Sound Energy leaves.
Lake Tapps is about in surface area and has about of shoreline. The local terrain is such that the shape of the shoreline is very complex, with many inlets, peninsulas, and islands. Before the reservoir was created there were several smaller lakes, including one called Lake Tapps. The reservoir is held in place by a series of dikes. The lake is also known to hold many fish including carp, rainbow trout and tiger musky.
Lake Tapps is often considered its own city or census designated place; however, the area surrounding the reservoir is part of the city of Bonney Lake, Washington, which in turn is a separate city from Sumner, Washington.
Lake Tapps residents have been facing multiple disputes with their lake water, including most recently a closed door deal made with the Cascade Water Supply to use the lake for drinking water some time in the year 2020. The lake is drawn down five feet every winter and is back up to full pool every spring, though some fear there will not be enough water to support the stream, the lake, and the municipal drinking supply - many also fear that the rules motor-boating may change as a result of the most recent deal made on the private water supply. As such there have been hundreds of homes listed for sale on Lake Tapps as of September 2008. Compared to Lake Goodwin in the north, there are roughly 20x more houses for sale on Lake Tapps.