The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Just in time for the opening of steelhead angling season on Wednesday, the Wahkiakum County Board of Commissioners adjusted on Tuesday the closure boundaries of Steamboat Slough Road.

Commissioners ordered the road closed earlier this spring to keep the public away from a spot where the Columbia is eroding the dike and threatening to create a landslide that would wash away the shoreline and flood the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge for the Columbia White-tailed Deer.

The eastern closure is near the erosion site, but the western closure is about two miles away at the intersection of Steamboat and Brooks Slough roads. Commissioners chose the road intersection location because there are few good places to turn around large RV's that might go down the road for sightseeing.

Two anglers attended Tuesday's meeting of the board of county commissioners and presented a petition signed by 43 people asking that the western closure boundary be moved closer to the erosion site so that anglers could reach their fishing sites.

No one is working on the dike, and there is apparently no funding for repairs, said spokesperson Paul Stewart.

"We can't understand why we can't drive out to where we want to fish," he said.

Commissioners Dan Cothren and Blair Brady agreed with the request (Commissioner Lisa Marsyla was out of town at a county insurance management meeting).

Cothren said he had received phone calls over the weekend from people seeking access and that he favored opening the road part way.

"I'm saying we're over protecting the public," he said. "Fishing is part of our history, our way of life.

"We're losing a lot of freedoms here in this day and age, and this is one more step in that direction.

"Access to the river is quite limited. Taking away access to this fishing area--I have a real issue with that."

Commissioner Brady agreed.

He suggested the barriers could be moved to the erosion site and that signs could be posted warning of limited turn arounds and that it would be trespassing to go beyond the barrier to the actual erosion site.

Public Works Director Pete Ringen said officials should make the boundaries as safe as possible. Expert analysts have said there is a serious risk of revetment failure. If the boundaries were adjusted, they should be kept back about 150' on each side of the erosion site.

Brady moved that the county adjust the closure boundaries and that signs be posted warning of limited turn arounds and of new boundaries. Cothren seconded the motion, and it passed.

Later, Cothren informed Sheriff Jon Dearmore of the change in boundaries.

"Don't write tickets down on Steamboat Slough Road," told the sheriff.

Dearmore said that he had already ordered officers to issue warnings because the signs "are convoluted." Arrests would occur only if a situation escalated.