Port 1 prepares for fishers

Elochoman Marina staff are preparing for a busy spring salmon season, marina Manager Jackie Lea told the board of commissioners last Thursday.

Salmon anglers have started to frequent the marina in hopes of catching fish from a run that should peak in mid-April.

Lea said she is planning stricter control of docks around the launching pad to head off conflicts between sport and commercial fishermen trying to use the same space.

Some commercial boats have been moored too close to the ramp, she said. She planned to send a letter to boaters notifying them that there should be no permanent moorage within 60 feet of the ramp. She'll also install some signs and discuss the situation with boat owners, she said.

In other business, Commissioners LeRoy Burns and Charles DeDolph--Commissioner Larry Bonds was absent with illness--voted to give Lea a 2.5 percent annual raise effective April 1, and they authorized hiring of Abe York as Lea's assistant.

Lea announced that an oil spill response trailer funded by the state Department of Ecology has arrived and will be parked near the fuel dock. Staff will have training April 19 on how to use it to respond to a spill. The class will be open to other emergency responders, including the sheriff's department, firemen, and Coast Guard auxiliary.

Lea also reported that staff from the state Department of Labor and Industries inspected the marina last week to investigate a possible safety hazard. The inspector said the risk was minimal, but the marina will upgrade it's safety manual.