Due to complexities with the Washington State Department of Fisheries & Wildlife application process, we have decided to postpone this Saturday’s work party. Instead, we are requesting our third crossing be moved to Saturday September 7and we be allowed to cross the river as planned on Saturdays August 24 and 31.

Yesterday Bill Rawlins and David Cameron accompanied state fisheries agent Wendy Cole and Jeremy Gilman of the Forest Service in inspecting our proposed crossing area below Twin Bridges. This is where we have forded before. There are no physical problems, although endangered bull trout have a 2012 redd (nesting site) below the second bridge. The trout usually will come back to the same spot, necessitating our keeping up on the bridge rather than fording that smaller channel.

However, there now are issues as to whether we should also have consulted with federal fisheries agencies as well as the state. This is new information for us and grows out of the 2007 listing of the chinook salmon as an endangered species, joining the steelhead and bull trout. We have no idea as to how this will sort out but are hoping to have a permit this coming week. Again, we will let you know as soon as we hear, which was this morning in today’s case.