Open house March 30 to discuss Mason Gulch management plan

Tacoma residents are invited to learn more about the creation of a natural resource management plan for Mason Gulch during an open house in March.

Mason Gulch consists of 36 contiguous open space acres located in North Tacoma and consisting of steep, forested slopes surrounding a creek and wetland complex at the bottom elevations that provides many environmental benefits, including stormwater management, wildlife habitat, and water quality protection, according to City of Tacoma staff. The creek was used from the late 1800s to the 1920s as a water supply for North End residents of the City of Tacoma, and Tacoma Public Utility’s Water Department purchased the property in 90 years ago with the intent to use it as a water supply. However, a hydrologic report completed in 1964 determined that this use would be complicated due to the geology, springs, and unstable soils, according to City of Tacoma staff. The North End Sewer Treatment Plant was built in 1966 at the mouth of the gulch and currently uses some of the creek water during its processing of sewage. Two years ago, the properties were transferred to the City of Tacoma’s Environmental Services Department with the intent to manage the properties responsibly with a focus on vegetation to benefit both surface water quality and quantity.

Last summer, the City of Tacoma held an open house to discuss a natural resource management plan for Mason Gulch in order to address responsible property management of the gulch (see “Mason Gulch open house July 30,” Tacoma Daily Index, July 23, 2015). A slideshow presentation from the meeting is available online here. Results of a survey taken during the meeting are available online here.

The next Mason Gulch open house will be held at 6 p.m. on Weds., March 30, at the University of Puget Sound (Rasmussen Rotunda), located at 1500 N. Warner St., in Tacoma. City of Tacoma staff will provide an update of the progress, presenting additional data gathered, and will provide more detail on the draft management plan. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and provide comment. More information is available online at http://www.cityoftacoma.org/cms/one.aspx?objectId=86600.