MOSES LAKE, WA — The Grant County Sheriff’s Office, alongside officers from the Colville Confederated Tribes, issued eviction notices Wednesday morning to residents of the Hiawatha homeless encampment located west of Moses Lake.
More than 10 deputies were on site to attach the notices to approximately 50 trailers and recreational vehicles. The operation was conducted without incident.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, occupants were instructed to vacate the property by 10 a.m. Thursday or face potential charges of criminal trespassing. The eviction was authorized at the request of the landowner, the Colville Confederated Tribes.
Sheriff Joe Kriete’s notice also emphasized that relocating to the nearby Moses Lake Sand Dunes is not permitted, citing Grant County codes that prohibit trespassing on county-owned land.
The encampment has reportedly been a source of ongoing public safety concerns. Authorities noted a rise in assaults, burglaries, and thefts linked to the area, as well as incidents involving vehicle and wildland fires.
Deputies are scheduled to return to the site on Thursday to verify compliance with the eviction order.