County renews lease for Wawawai Park

Whitman County commissioners approved a new 25-year lease with the Army Corps of Engineers Oct. 16 for Wawawai Park. The lease extends the original agreement which led to the creation of the park in 1977.

The Army Corps built the park with the understanding that the county would run it.

A first 15-year lease was renewed in 1992 followed by a 25-year lease, which expired this year.

The new document includes notations about new pesticide restrictions which have taken effect during the previous lease.

The new rules, some as recent as 2012, relate to pesticide applications and how they may affect salmon and other fish via runoff. Examples of newer rules include a ban on spraying when the temperature is more than 90 degrees. Another is that all applications of pesticide must be reported within seven days.

Previously, a report was made once per year.

“These are things that I expected to be in the lease,” said Dave Mahan, county parks superintendent.

By state law, the park is required to control weeds.

The Army Corps of Engineers inspects Wawawai Park once per year.

This year, leading to the conclusion of the lease, they wrote an environmental condition of property report, which was filed with the new lease for the 50-acre park. No money is exchanged as part of the lease, just the understanding that Whitman County runs the park.

The new agreement expires in 2042.