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

Wahkiakum County commissioners and US Fish and Wildlife Service managers are working to clear up a misunderstanding of angler access to closed portions of Steamboat Slough Road.

Fish and Wildlife completed this year the construction of a new dike setback from the original dike. The shoreline was eroding under the original dike, and a geotechnical engineer warned the area could suddenly slide into the river, thereby breaching the dike and flooding the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refute.

The US Army Corps of Engineers designed the setback dike project, which called for breaching the original dike in two places and creating a wetland between the river and the new setback dike.

Fish and Wildlife has posted signs at each edge of the slide zone that prohibit people from entering the area.

The signs have annoyed many anglers, Commissioner Dan Cothren said Tuesday. The anglers have been accustomed to fishing in the area and are now shut out.

"There's a misunderstanding," Cothren said. "When we got done . . . we had thought folks could come in there and do some of those things they were accustomed to doing. What would it hurt for these folks to get into those spots?"

County officials feel they still have a public road right-of-way along the original dike.

"We gave an easement (for the breaching) but legally we still have a road through there," said county Public Works Director Pete Ringen. "I'm sure you're concerned about the liability issues, but it makes it tough for the commissioners."

Jackie Ferrier, manager of the Willapa refuge complex which includes the Hansen refuge, said she thought the signs and closed area were part of the original plan.

"We talked months ago about this," she said. "We all said that no one would be allowed access. If there's been a misunderstanding, I apologize."

Ferrier added that engineers feel there is still an imminent threat for a slide in the area.

"I don't feel comfortable allowing access to the area. Our solicitors have said we need to close it to public access."

Ferrier added that when the potential for a slide was first identified, all parties agreed that there should be no public access to the area.

"I'm glad you brought that up," Ringen said. "There are valid issues there."

One issue, Ringen said, is that only one geotechnical engineer was consulted. He studied the area and made a report.

"Everybody reacted to that," Ringen said. "There was never any drilling so that we could quantify it for the public."

Cothren asked Ferrier to take the county's comments to agency solicitors.

"If there's an opening for the guys to be able to go fishing, they should be able to do that," he said.

Ferrier said she would do that; she would expect to have the answer in a few weeks.

"If it (road right-of-way) truly is yours, we can take the signs off, and the county can take the liability," she said.

"The commissioners should go into it with their eyes open," Ringen commented. "There are some issues there."