A five and a half acre property on Steel Lake, including what is affectionately known as “the lagoon,” may soon be owned and protected by the city.

On Feb. 4, the Federal Way City Council approved a resolution for an authorization to acquire the property for conservation and future parks use.

EJ Walsh, public works director, presented on the resolution, sharing that the city became aware that the parcel was available and that an appraisal on the property has been completed.

The city then determined that the “acquisition is in the public’s interest and consistent with adopted policies” and proposed a joint purchase between the Surface Water Utility Enterprise Fund and the Parks Levy Fund.

Steel Lake resident Margaret Reyhner has been an advocate for the lake in many ways and has lived there with her husband for 52 years, she told the Mirror. She is also one of the people who “sent emails and talked to the council and mayor about the wonderful opportunity to own the property.”

“A good portion of it is a wetland that is habitat to many birds and waterfowl,” Reyhner said in describing the property. “In the middle of Federal Way, it seems as if you are in a very remote and serene location. It is very forested with an overgrown road from South 304th to the lagoon … I have thought of it as possibly a mini Hylebos wetlands.”

Reyhner said she remembers several attempts to develop the property in the past, but that all of them failed. In part, she said this was due to residents who “went to many meetings and hearings over the years.”

This time when she saw a large “for sale” sign go up, she realized she needed to try to do something, Reyhner told the Mirror.

“I am very excited that the city council passed a resolution to purchase the property,” Reyhner said. “I see ownership of the property by the City of Federal Way as being very farsighted by the council members.”

Years of advocacy

Reyhner recalls that her first advocacy for the lake began in the 1970s when she spoke in Olympia about “the negative effects of having a fish kill on the lake.”

Reyhner said she was part of a duo that formed a committee to respond to a milfoil problem on the lake. This committee eventually became the first Lake Management District 21 years ago after the City of Federal Way helped them organize their lake protection efforts.

Melissa Hamilton is another community member who lives on Steel Lake and is on the Steel Lake Management District Advisory Committee.

Hamilton is familiar with Reyhner’s advocacy: “The first neighbor I met when I moved to Steel Lake was Margaret Reyhner, and she wasn’t just stopping by to say hello. She wanted to talk about protecting the lake. A piece of land along a critical shoreline was up for large-scale development, and she was really concerned about how it would impact the turtles, herons, and other wildlife that depended on it.”

Hamilton told the Mirror that “after meeting Margaret, it was clear to me that this wasn’t just a neighborhood — it was a community that truly cared about the health of the lake and its natural spaces.”

“Steel Lake Park is the jewel of Federal Way. It is a place where families picnic, play, fish, swim, and get out on the lake on kayaks, standup paddleboards, rowboats, and any other floating vessel,” Reyhner said, being sure to note that there are no combustible engines allowed on the lake, making it a “very safe water environment for everyone to enjoy.”

“I feel so fortunate to live on the lake. I am so glad that it is a place where not just the residents on the lake can enjoy it, but also the residents of Federal Way,” Reyhner said.

A Canadian goose can be spotted in this photograph inside the conservation area, fondly referred to as the “lagoon” by some on the lake. Photo provided by Melissa Hamilton