Summary

Stehekin River Corridor Implementation Plan

National Park Service

U.S. Department of the Interior

North Cascades National Park Complex

Lake Chelan National Recreation Area

KEY PLAN FEATURES

•	 The National Park Service (NPS) wants people to visit the recreation area.

•	 This plan is in response to record floods (three of the largest floods on record have occurred since

1995).

•	 The Land Protection Plan (LPP) has been revised to meet landowner needs and resource

protection issues following the floods.

SRCIP PLAN GOALS

•	 Sustainably operate and maintain NPS administrative facilities, public access (via roads and trails),

and campgrounds.

•	 Protect water quality, scenic values, habitat, and natural processes of the Stehekin River.

•	 Partner with the Stehekin Community to provide services, facilities and experiences for visitors.

ISSUES/PLAN OBJECTIVES

•	 NPS wants to ensure a sustainable road in the lower Stehekin Valley to meet the needs of visitors,

NPS, and residents.

•	 NPS wants to ensure sustainable recreation and administrative facilities to support visitors and

park operations.

•	 Flooding will continue in the Stehekin Valley and the NPS does not have unlimited federal funds

to put the road or recreational and administrative facilities back after every flood.

•	 NPS does not have the authority or responsibility to protect private property from flooding but

can help property owners through technical assistance, land exchanges, or purchase.

KEY ELEMENTS IN PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE

•	 Pave Stehekin Valley Road from Landing to 9.2 mile (addresses dust and gravel-use issues)

•	 Relocate 1.9 miles road out of floodplain (do not plan to abandon private access)

•	 Road stabilization Wilson Creek and Frog Island

•	 Removal of NPS facilities from floodplain (housing, maintenance, fuel storage)

•	 New recreation facilities (Camps near Rainbow Falls and Bullion, valley trail, boat launch)

•	 More aggressive management of flooding and erosion at two key locations

•	 McGregor Meadows (grade control, Land Protection Plan urgency, road reroute)

•	 River Mouth (Large Woody Debris management, erosion control, Boulder Creek)

•	 Restoration of river banks at Lower Field, Buckner National Historic District, river mouth

•	 Extensive use of research and monitoring information in plan design

•	 Large floods allowed to occupy the floodplain to reduce damages at any one site

•	 The 1995 Land Protection Plan has been revised in response to the floods
CHANGES FROM 2010 DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

•	 Added alternate McGregor Meadows access from reroute and grade control

•	 Added box culvert at 8.5 mile

•	 Further revision to LPP to focus more on areas most at risk to flooding

•	 Fewer high priority sites (1995 = 62 parcels/372 acres, 2010 = 66/271a, 2012 = 31/190a.)

•	 5.6 more acres available exchange land

•	 Scenic assessment at head of lake (High priority = 18, Med. = 28, Low = 122)

•	 Expanded socioeconomic section of EIS provides context for NPS impacts (see handout)

BENEFITS

•	 All but about one-half mile of Stehekin Valley Road are removed from the floodplain (near Bakery

and Frog Island)

•	 More sustainable infrastructure (facilities and access)

•	 Reduction in dust and use of gravel

•	 Revised Land Protection Plan will help protect water quality and private property

IMPACTS

•	 Re-route passes through northern spotted owl habitat

•	 Natural river processes affected from 5-7 new rock barbs at three sites, although most (3-5) of

these new barbs are at the edge of the channel migration zone