Stehekin Opens Despite Flood Damage

Despite a winter of struggles and ongoing questions about its future, the remote Lake Chelan village of Stehekin is open for its tourism season.

How Winter Storms Damaged Stehekin

Chelan County Commissioner Brad Hawkins said it has been a challenging five months in the five months following the December storms and flooding events.

"I think the people in Stehekin are very resilient, they're going to be the first to say, 'this isn't going to threaten us, we're open for the summer,' and they want everyone to know that they are," Hawkins said. "I think people who go there will be treated very warmly and they will be able to enjoy the experience of Stehekin."

The storms destroyed the levee, built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, creating a large runoff through the Company Creek area of Stehekin. The U.S. Forest Service built a temporary corduroy bridge to allow foot traffic to cross the new route of the river.

However, blizzard conditions in March breached the temporary fix, with heavy rains following. This quickly melted the snow and sent nearly 20 feet of water from the Stehekin River over the temporary road and flooded Battalion Creek.

Levee Repairs and Federal Response

Hawkins said the National Park Service, which owns the property near Company Creek, has been dragging its feet to repair the levee and redirect the river to its prior path. Chelan County has been using the barge service to bring the materials needed to be stored at Stehekin when the Park Service finally approves the work.

"If these were County roads and County facilities, they'd all be repaired by now," Hawkins said. "It's taken a lot longer than anticipated."

What Visitors Can Expect This Summer

The storms also severely damaged a wastewater treatment facility that the Park Service owns. Hawkins said it has not been repaired yet, and that may force some modifications to the availability of some of the facilities.

Hawkins adds that he believes the lack of urgency from the National Park Service threatens the existence of the Stehekin community as everyone knows it.

"It is a special community; the Chelan County Commissioners are very supportive of it," Hawkins said. "It is a concern of mine, and it's a concern because Stehekin has such a long and proud history of being a special place in Chelan County, and we don't want to lose it, so we want to do everything we can to support it, but there are some very unique dynamics when you get the National Park Service and other federal entities involved in it."

Road Washouts Impact Holden Village

Similarly, roughly 10 miles of road leading to the remote Holden Village, also on Lake Chelan, experienced multiple washouts. Hawkins said the U.S. Forest Service is overseeing repairs to the road and the Rio Tinto mine, but that could take another year to finish.

"[The Forest Service] has been very communicative with the community, and they've done a very good job with the Holden community and with us sharing as much information as they can," Hawkins said. "It's going to be a long time... in my opinion."

Visitors hoping to experience Stehekin may reach the community by ferry or boat as usual, but some facilities may not be open. It is unclear which facilities will be impacted.