Tacoma Power has announced plans to add 100 new campsites at its Taidnapam Park at Riffe Lake.
According to Tom Martin, license implementation coordinator for Tacoma Power, the addition will include 78 new recreational vehicle campsites, 10 tent and 12 group sites. The park currently has 68 individual and 22 group sites.
"We're going to start moving on this way ahead of schedule," Martin said, adding that the first phase of the expansion will start this fall.
According to Martin, the expansion is part of an agreement decided when Tacoma Power's federal license was renewed in 2003.
"All the stake holders agreed to expand both at Taidnapam and Mossyrock," he said. "But when we looked at the demand for the parks, we decided to do all the expansion at Taidnapam."
In the first phase next fall, construction crews will start the clearing process for access roads and parking lots. The installation of the campsites, the paving of roads and the building of additional restrooms will follow in fall of 2006. The entire project will cost Tacoma Power approximately $2 million, according to Martin.
In 2007, the park will add a low-water boat launch to the north, allowing water access all year round.
However, despite the expansion, the park's appearance will not be dramatically altered, according to Martin.
"The same forested atmosphere at Taidnapam Park will remain. We're only taking out trees that we absolutely have to," he said.
