Forums to address issues owners of river property encounter

Published 1:30 am Thursday, July 21, 2016

MONROE — The popularity of recreation on rivers is increasing and officials are looking to promote Snohomish County’s waterways, leaving property owners who live along the rivers with questions.

What agency should homeowners call when they see someone misbehaving on the river? Are more signs and parking going to be added so people know where to put in and take out for float trips? What are property owners’ rights and expectations when a group of amateur floaters haul out in a stranger’s back yard because they underestimated the trip?

A public meeting is planned for Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the 4-H Building at the Monroe Fairgrounds to talk about the Snohomish and Skykomish rivers. The agenda includes a panel discussion about property owners’ rights, the behavior of river users and the responsibilities of public agencies and police. Among the expected panelists are representatives from Snohomish County Parks, the sheriff’s office, the state departments of Fish and Wildlife and Natural Resources, Washington State Parks and the U.S. Forest Service.

The goal is to answer questions about the different roles agencies have in managing and protecting the rivers and the rights of people who play in them or live along their banks. Property owners should leave with a better idea of whom to contact with specific questions, county parks director Tom Teigen said.

Officials also want to know what general problems already exist along the rivers. Planning for increased recreation requires working with county, state and federal agencies. One group that sometimes gets left out is property owners, Teigen said.

River-based recreation has been a piece of Snohomish County’s allure for decades. Many people put in to rivers wherever they can find access and haul themselves and their stuff out wherever they end up.

Problems generally don’t stem from trained guides or experienced river users, Teigen said. They know where to launch and take out. They understand how long a trip takes and know that the river is lower and slower in August than in June. They pack out what they pack in.

However, there also is a large group of amateur recreational users who are not as knowledgeable or necessarily as conscientious. Some property owners have been asked to give people rides back to their vehicles after floaters pull themselves out of the river, tired and soaking wet, on private land because they underestimated the trip or didn’t plan a take-out spot.

“It happens a lot more than you’d think,” Teigen said.

Rivers also are dangerous. Aside from creating problems for property owners, going out with limited planning or experience is risky. The water is cold, fast and unpredictable in spots, with snags that can hide below the surface.

“This meeting is really about, if we’re going to see more people and if we’re going to have this nationally branded water trail, how do we meet basic needs like parking and where to put in and take out before they become a problem on the river?” Teigen said.

Officials are looking at better ways to share estimated float times, river flow and the best locations for starting and ending a trip.

Outdoor recreation is a multibillion-dollar industry for the county. The natural and geographic assets of the area, including clear rivers with dramatic scenery, draw people from around the world.

“We love it. We support it. It’s an economic driver for our region,” Teigen said. “We need to know how we can better work with our landowners so they don’t feel as put upon or as undervalued as some have in the past.”

Two other meetings are planned, one at 6 p.m. Aug. 8 at Sultan High School and another at 6 p.m. Aug. 9 at the county campus on Rockefeller Avenue in Everett. Those meetings are put on by the Sky to Sound Water Trail Coalition and Forterra. The focus is expected to shift from property owners’ concerns to the future of recreation on local rivers. A water trail management plan is in the works and guests at the meetings can weigh in.

To RSVP, email Annique.Bennett@co.snohomish.wa.us.

Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.