a part of the process

As a part of the Master Plan for Kah Tai, Phase I of the Kah Tai Lagoon Park was developed, refined, reviewed and permitted in 1985. Phase I required a Shoreline Substantial Development permit (#SH10-85) from the State Department of Ecology. The final version of the permit map, dated November 1985, indicates that the purpose of digging the small lagoon is to 'Restore Wildlife Habitat'.

The small lagoon was initially drawn to extend much closer to 12th Street than it does today with the hope that the 'Department of Ecology shall not require review under the Washington State Shoreline Management Act for future projects proposed for lands brought under the jurisdiction of the Act' as a result of the permit. Ecology was unable to waive review of adjacent lands that would be within the 200-ft shoreline zone of the small lagoon. The result is the modified configuration that we see today for the small lagoon.

There remain intermittent wetlands in the area between the small lagoon and the southern boundary of the park. One obvious component of the Master Plan not yet complete is the restoration of wetlands near the eastern boundary of the southern uplands.