Top River Access Issues in Washington State
American Whitewater’s mission is to conserve and restore America’s whitewater resources and to enhance opportunities to enjoy them safely. Inherent in our goals of river conservation and restoration it is important to connect people to rivers to provide experiences that are safe and enjoyable. You can’t protect what you don’t know and a big part of our river access work is connecting people to rivers so they can become better advocates for the resource.
While we have had many successes over the past decade, we have identified our top priorities for the next five years to improve river access in Washington State. Our efforts are not simply focused on bringing more people to rivers. Instead our focus is on ensuring that those who do retreat to rivers are doing so responsibly in a manner that reduces impacts to the resource. Many of these projects represent much more than just building a new access point; the majority of these projects have a goal of building successful and durable partnerships that support sustainable outdoor recreation on our state’s rivers. Many of these projects have volunteers involved and we also welcome additional assistance. If you are interested in helping out with any of these projects, please get in touch with us.
Our top projects are as follows:
North Fork Skykomish River
When the Index-Galena Road washed out in 2006, access to the North Fork Skykomish was severely impacted. While an alternative access is available up the Beckler River Valley and over Jack’s Pass this route is snowed in for the entire winter paddling season and the early spring snowmelt when this run was most popular. Additionally, it turned a short and convenient shuttle route into a major undertaking. American Whitewater has worked with Snohomish County and the Forest Service to reopen this road that accesses one of the best class IV whitewater runs in Western Washington. As part of the overall project, American Whitewater has worked with project planners to ensure that critical river access sites are managed and integrated into the overall site design.
Green River — Paradise
The standard access point representing the dividing point between the Upper Gorge and Lower Gorge on the Green River has been a popular take-out for experienced kayakers and a put-in for beginners. Although a good trail to the river is available on State Park land, the parking area is on private land. While our local affiliate Washington Kayak Club and local volunteers have worked to keep the property cleaned up and accessible to paddlers, recent development and associated population growth in the area has increased use to a point that could exceed the capacity of the landowner and volunteers to manage the site. Finding a long-term solution to access management that is durable and sustainable remains a priority for American Whitewater.
Elwha River — Highway 101
While we join river advocates in celebrating a free-flowing Elwha River, the removal of two dams and the restored flow of sediment has created challenges for river access. The historic access at Altair was washed away in a flood and the river has migrated away from the historic access downstream of the Highway 101 bridge at the old Elwha River Resort property. In 2016 American Whitewater led an effort to establish a new state law requiring the Department of Transportation to evaluate the feasibility of providing public waterway access any time a bridge is reconstructed. With the Highway 101 bridge scheduled for replacement in 2018, we have an opportunity to explore options for providing access to the river at this location.
Methow River
While the Methow Valley is known for its network of nordic and mountain biking trails, the Methow River forms a natural water trail through the valley with some great paddling opportunities. Currently one of the greatest access needs is in the Town of Twisp. While good access to the river can be found upstream in Winthrop and downstream in Carlton, access in Twisp is challenging. Taking out at the park in town requires a skilled ferry across the confluence where the Twisp River joins the Methow and a steep scramble up an eroded bank. Improved access in town is desirable, along with wayfinding and safety information for both paddlers and summer floaters to better understand the character of the river and where safe access points exist.
Skykomish River — Sunset Falls
Back in the summer of 2000 the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife formally closed Sunset Falls to public access. While the site had been used informally for years and despite the fact that the land on river right below the falls is owned by the State of Washington, the operators of the fish trap and haul facility determined that public use of the site was interfering with their operations. American Whitewater has explored various options to provide managed access at the site for whitewater boaters. Several years ago we identified this as one of our top ten access issues nationally and it continues to remain a top priority as we pursue various options to restore access to this site.
Sunset Falls is not the only site on the Skykomish River where we see a need to improve access: the Town of Skykomish has an interest in providing better access in town, Money Creek Campground is managed for overnight use but provides suboptimal day-use access to the river, Eagle Falls requires a safe take-out upstream of the falls and a site plan for the unmanaged day-use occurring on the rock ledges downstream of the falls, and Split Rock is privately owned and not guaranteed for the long term. We have partnered with Snohomish County with support from the National Park Service to encourage a community dialogue on how to best ensure river recreation is sustainably managed on this river.
Wind River — Fish Ladder
In recent years Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has demonstrated an increased interest in broadening the appeal of their agency by creating a more welcoming environment for citizens of the state who do not normally identify as hunters or fishermen. American Whitewater has identified the need for a legal portage option at the fish ladder on the Wind River as a top priority for the Department to address. At higher flows the series of waterfalls near the Columbia River confluence, and a dangerous artificial weir to direct fish into the fish ladder, requires a portage. The only logical portage route is along the fish ladder on river left that is signed for no trespassing. Paddlers generally ignore the sign but Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staff have been known to threaten paddlers with criminal trespass and the uncertainty over the legality of the portage route creates a barrier to use of the river by commercial outfitters. Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife should recognize the right to portage and embrace whitewater recreation as an appropriate activity on the Wind River. American Whitewater has had several discussions with Department staff on this issue and we are committed to continued dialogue to resolve the issues.
Chehalis River
The Chehalis River is currently being considered for a massive flood control dam that would destroy a spectacular whitewater run located on private forestland owned and managed by Weyerhaeuser. Unfortunately access on private timberland has become increasingly challenging in recent years with individual forests, including this one, requiring expensive user permitsissued to an individual. The State of Washington has attempted to argue that impacts to recreation of building a dam would be minimal because the forest owner is currently limiting access. American Whitewater has a long-term interest in improving access to private forest lands and the rivers that flow through them. We will also continue to oppose this dam that will destroy the river for any future opportunity to enhance the whitewater paddling experience.
Wynoochee River
Access on the Wynoochee has gradually deteriorated over the years with Forest Service road decommissioning and new gates that routinely block access on private timber company lands. In an effort to reduce this trend, American Whitewater is supporting the efforts of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to provide public access at Bob’s Bridge, located downstream of the gorge. Ultimately, we are working toward the goal of improved access at Save Creek, but access on private timber company land continues to be a challenge.
White Salmon River — Northwest Park
With the removal of Condit Dam on the White Salmon River and PacifiCorp’s restoration work nearing completion, the fate of PacifiCorp-owned lands along the lower river remains in question. Of particular interest to paddlers, Northwestern Park is owned by PacifiCorp and represents one of the busiest river access points in the state with thousands of paddlers and several commercial raft companies using the site every year. Given that the White Salmon Wild and Scenic Rivers is managed by the Forest Service, the agency managing the put-in at BZ, they would be the logical choice for an agency that could take ownership and manage this access point. Beyond the access at Northwestern Park, American Whitewater has an interest in ensuring that all PacifiCorp lands along the river are ultimately managed in a manner that protects the riparian corridor and the $35 million investment in dam removal for the benefit of the fishery resource. We are currently engaged in stakeholder conversations to develop a long-term vision for this river that enhances fishery resource while providing opportunities for sustainable river-based recreation.
Cispus River
The Cispus River has been a great whitewater resource for decades but unfortunately the commitment to build a public access point prior to construction of the hydropower project that was completed in 1994 at Cowlitz Falls was not upheld. While the access was finally constructed and opened to the public in 2007, frequent gate closures and irregularly updated web pages continue to represent a barrier to actually getting to the site. In recent years, new leadership at the PUD and continued pressure to fix the situation from the local paddling community has resulted in steps towards improving the situation. We will continue to support efforts towards a permanent solution for an access point that is open and easily accessible to the public.
Kalama River
The Kalama is one of many rivers that flows through private timber company lands. Unfortunately access to these rivers has become more and more challenging as timber companies have shifted from policies of providing open access to more restrictive and costly limited-entry permit systems. This is regional issue and while we have no easy solutions, we have had several discussions with lawmakers, other user groups in the outdoor recreation community who are similarly affected, and timber companies.
North Fork Snoqualmie River
The North Fork Snoqualmie is famous for Ernie’s Gorge, a class V proving ground for elite paddlers who come from across the entire region. No public access to the river is available however for either the class V run through Ernie’s Gorge or the class III run just upstream. While King County purchased the development rights for private timberland within the North Fork Snoqualmie for $22 million, the land remains private and access continues to be restricted to those who purchase a permit. Given the significant public investment King County made in this 90,000 acre forest, our long-term goal is improved access and a parking area near the Spur 10 Bridge.
Nisqually River
Despite decades of planning and the opening of Nisqually River State Park as one of our state’s newest public parks along a river, access to the Nisqually River upstream of McKenna remains a challenge. This stretch of river provides class II boating opportunities through a river corridor that is largely undeveloped.
Currently however it is a mile hike-in to access points at the Mashel or Ohop River confluence, despite the fact that both sites are public land and recognized as opportunities for river access in the Master Plan for the Park. Improving access to the river and realizing the full potential of this new State Park to provide recreational boating opportunities is a priority of American Whitewater.
North Fork Nooksack River — MP 27
While the Forest Service provides a great put-in for the Nooksack River on Forest Service land, boaters are on their own once they float downstream of the Forest boundary. The traditional access point is at milepost 27 on the Mt. Baker Highway where the river approaches the road. With a very narrow shoulder, one often ends up standing on the highway to load boats. The need for a safe access point has been identified as a priority for years. The Department of Natural Resources owns a parcel just downstream of milepost 27 that we have identified as a potential access point.
Suiattle River
While we have had great success in implementing projects to enhance all the priority projects on the Sauk Wild and Scenic River, access to its major tributary the Suiattle Wild and Scenic River remains a challenge. The Boundary Bridge is one important access point that is used by commercial outfitters and the general public. The need for this access was identified in the river management plan and for many years a trail on river left provided adequate access. In the 2003 floods however the river blew through the approach road to the bridge and with it went the access.
A more durable access point appears possible on river right on the upstream side of the bridge where a bedrock shelf provides a staging area and adequate space is available in the bridge right-of-way for an access path to the water. Reestablishing formal access at Boundary Bridge is a priority for American Whitewater. In addition we will explore opportunities with the Washington Department of Natural Resources to establish access at Tenas Creek, an access point identified in the river management plan that could provide an alternative put-in that avoids the braided section upstream of this point and extends the floating season through the summer.
Teanaway River
With beautiful user-friendly surf waves, the Teanaway is a spring favorite for those looking for a class II paddling experience featuring some wonderful river features. We recently cheered the acquisition of 50,000 acres within the Teanaway River corridor by the State of Washington that will protect this river from private development. Efforts are currently underway to plan a community forest that is managed for sustainable forestry and other community values that include outdoor recreation. We support efforts to formalize and manage the informal river access sites that are used by paddlers in the spring and those simply looking for a place to retreat from the heat during the summer.
Sol Duc River
The Sol Duc River in Olympic National Park is one of the best winter whitewater runs on the Olympic Peninsula. Unfortunately however the National Park Service has chosen to extend the period of time the road is gated in recent years. What was once a dependable winter whitewater run has become increasingly difficult to access. While closures during times of major storm events or after extensive road damage are understandable, the road has been more frequently closed when it would be safe to drive and access the river. American Whitewater identified the need for this access in our comments on the updated General Management Plan for Olympic National Park. We will continue to raise this issue and seek improved access to this river through the winter paddling season.
Canyon Creek (South Fork Stillaguamish)
While many paddlers have known about the short run on Canyon Creek that flows into the South Fork Stillaguamish, local paddlers have explored the upper reaches of this creek in recent years and discovered a great run with some beautiful gorges. Unfortunately however a damaged bridge on Forest Road 41 limits access to all but those willing to hike in several miles. American Whitewater is actively engaged with Mt. Baker — Snoqualmie National Forest staff in discussions over road maintenance and we have prioritized this as an important access for our community. Additionally, we annually provide input to Congressional appropriators on the importance of investing in infrastructure on our public lands that supports outdoor recreation.
State Level Legislation that Affects Access
We keep our eye on state legislation that may affect the public’s access to rivers and almost every year there seems to be a bill with far reaching implications that would impede the public’s right to access some of our favorite whitewater reaches. Currently there is a bill moving through both the Washington State Senate and House that would add new language to state law allowing a county to vacate a public right-of-way abutting a waterway “for the protection of public safety.” Public road right-of-ways that dead end on waterways provide important access to rivers and marine shorelines across Washington State and allowing counties to vacate these has the potential to remove key public access points for paddlers. Click here to comment and learn more about this legislation.
Connecting People and Rivers
Working to connect people with rivers serves to help American Whitewater accomplish our stewardship goals in a number of ways. The more the public experiences rivers the greater their desire to protect them. Accessing rivers safely and improving public access to waterways is a part of our founding principles. While the projects above represent important priorities and opportunities we are focused on, we are also proud of several recent successes. Click here to see just a few of the projects we are pleased to have brought to successful completion.
If you’d like to be a part solutions to any of these projects please contact American Whitewater Pacific Northwest Stewardship Director Thomas O’Keefe at okeefe@americanwhitewater.org, or consider becoming a member of, or making a tax-deductible donation to American Whitewater.
