COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho – Roads that washed out in a scenic and popular backcountry valley in northern Idaho after powerful November storms could cost $5 million to repair, and work might not begin until 2008, officials say.
“We have a lot of damage throughout the drainage,” Carolyn Upton, acting district ranger for the U.S. Forest Service’s Sandpoint district, told The Spokesman-Review newspaper of Spokane.
An early November storm dumped almost 20 inches of rain in the Lightning Creek Drainage east of Sandpoint, causing flooding that destroyed forest roads and changed the course of streams.
The roads are so heavily damaged that it is difficult for Forest Service crews to reach the area, Upton said. Some washouts are larger than vehicles, making mountain bikes one of the few modes of reaching some areas. Officials said some washouts are 700 feet long and 15 feet deep.
For safety reasons, the Forest Service has banned vehicles from some roads, including parts of Lightning Creek, Rattle Creek, Auxor Basin, East Fork, Porcupine and Mud Creek roads.
Upton said the agency is still trying to determine the amount of damage.
She said that because of the severe weather in the area, the agency is considering moving the roads. The drainage is considered one of the wettest valleys in the state.
However, relocating the roads could cost $5 million, Upton said.
Visitors to the Cabinet Mountains will find some roads open to vehicles. The road to Lunch Peak Lookout is open, as are trails to Lake Darling, Gem Lake and Moose Lake.
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