Lewis County PUD acquires 81 acres adjacent to Cowlitz Falls Campground property.
Chehalis, WA (October 25, 2022) – The Lewis County PUD (PUD) is pleased to announce a land purchase that could expand recreational opportunities in east Lewis County.
The PUD purchased 81 acres located at 807 Peters Rd. Randle, WA from CG Roxane LLC, which borders the east side of the PUD’s existing Cowlitz Falls Campground in Randle.
“The property will be a cornerstone of our relicensing program with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the Cowlitz Falls Project,” said Chris Roden, PUD General Manager. “This is a unique piece of land given its shared border with our existing site and presents exciting recreational opportunities that we wouldn’t have without it.”
The Cowlitz Falls Project’s license with FERC expires in 2036 and the process for relicensing could begin as early as 2026.
“The land purchase will be used in concert with other measures to satisfy recreational, fish, and wildlife requirements encountered during the relicensing process”, added Roden.
The PUD is excited to find the best way to utilize the property to serve our community moving forward.
About Lewis County PUD
Lewis County PUD is a community-owned, locally governed utility providing power services and telecommunications infrastructure to approximately 33,000 customers throughout most of Lewis County and adjacent communities.
The Cowlitz Falls Hydroelectric Project is a 70-megawatt hydroelectric dam that was constructed in the early 1990s. The dam and power generation facility were completed in 1994. The dam is 140 feet high and spans approximately 700 feet across the Cowlitz River. The reservoir behind the dam has a surface area of approximately 700 acres.
The Cowlitz Falls Project helps bring affordable, renewable, and reliable electric power to Lewis County, but the benefits do not end there; recreational and scenic opportunities abound, made available by this Project.
As part of the federal license to construct the Cowlitz Falls Project, Lew County PUD has provided a variety of environmental and mitigation programs. Additional lands were purchased by the PUD for reservoir buffer zone vegetation and wildlife management, providing nesting sites for eagles and osprey and creating meadows for deer and elk. The PUD stocks trout in the reservoir (Lake Scanewa) for sport fishing annually.