Dry Falls road/launch
- Thread starter Buzzy
- Start date
Have at it@Evan B - if you don't want links to the former site, delete
@RRSmith - some history:
Dry Falls boat launch improvements - private funding...
Dry Falls opens March 1st - the boat launch looks like this: The channel between the reeds/bulrushes is maybe 7 - 8 feet wide. There's room at the shore for one boat at a time to stage and launch. Launching with a row boat - stand up and paddle. Not enough width to row. Fins, electric motor...www.washingtonflyfishing.com
Thanks for the background info.... When I started reading this thread - I immediately thought that federal permitting would be an issue. Artificially made lakes can bypass ACOE permitting unless you're doing something like pushing a load of rock into it with a backhoe. It's a well intended law (Clean Water Act) which ignores common sense easy fixes as in this particular case. If the Park Superintendent is okay with this fix - that's a very good thing.@RRSmith - some history:
Dry Falls boat launch improvements - private funding...
Dry Falls opens March 1st - the boat launch looks like this: The channel between the reeds/bulrushes is maybe 7 - 8 feet wide. There's room at the shore for one boat at a time to stage and launch. Launching with a row boat - stand up and paddle. Not enough width to row. Fins, electric motor...
Drill a few well placed holes and you could finish the job in 20 minutes.
You two are bigger, badder men than me.
dflett68
Steelhead
not me. but everything looks easy before you try it.
O clarkii lewisi
Steelhead
Agree, the road is horrid but it's one of my favorite lake approaches. The scenery, wildlife and birds are stellar and for me the lake at the end of the road is worth it. I take it slow, and my Tundra does fine and have pontoon loaded in the bed. Only downside for me is it is my dogs least favorite road. She barfs every time.
So Buzzy, several things come to mind after fishing it a few times a couple weeks back.
But first... I hope everybody knows that the Sun Lake State Park Campground is going to be re-done. They will be cutting down all the trees in the original lower campground closest to the golf course and taking out the two old bathrooms. Then they will be reducing the number of sites to 100. And all of the new sites will be Full Hookup sites. Now that was the plan starting in 2025 and going through 2027, but do to State Budget issues that plan is now 2027 - 2029, depending on the State Budget. This is all according to the Park guy I talked with twice. So, I am sure they could give a rats ass about the road into Dry Falls and the very few fly fisheries that go in every year.
Now @Buzzy I have some other theories that are wild but not out of the ballpark of State Government that can't live within their means, don't seem to be able to operate agencies effectively, and don't always focus on the user groups that they are supposed to support in our activities.
So, here comes my wild prognostication the state is not and will not spend money on fixing the road no matter how many ask, the week spend it on other stuff, even our license money. The State Park is waiting on someone's vehicle to get stuck or better yet to break an axle or rim or roll over, said person sued the State (Parks) for unsafe road conditions. Then the State Parks will just close the road all together (not even WDFW plant trucks) over Safety. And then writing 4 years not even guys that like to hike in to fish will make the walk, because there will be no fish. WDFW will not speak up because then their budge will get hit even deeper. The Parks doesn't have to patrol the area, and can do even less in that area. They call it a win. And all that happens is we lose another area to fish.
As far as volunteering to solve the problem even if a group went through the proper volunteer training and got certified. Even if they bring and paid for all the equipment (dozen, dump truck, gravel, approved sealant, etc.) Volunteered all their own time. Filed and followed ALL the regulations, EPA, SEPA, Endangered Spieces Act papers, UPGRADED to the ADA Requirements. The State Parks people will just not support it because it's easier to just close it, and to bad for us fishers.
I hope my prognostication is wrong, that said with seeing how this state spends money, picks priorities and can't seem to see what they are doing wrong... I think I am closer to right than wrong.
Go fish it while you can! It is a very dear place, holds many many memories!
Tight lines
But first... I hope everybody knows that the Sun Lake State Park Campground is going to be re-done. They will be cutting down all the trees in the original lower campground closest to the golf course and taking out the two old bathrooms. Then they will be reducing the number of sites to 100. And all of the new sites will be Full Hookup sites. Now that was the plan starting in 2025 and going through 2027, but do to State Budget issues that plan is now 2027 - 2029, depending on the State Budget. This is all according to the Park guy I talked with twice. So, I am sure they could give a rats ass about the road into Dry Falls and the very few fly fisheries that go in every year.
Now @Buzzy I have some other theories that are wild but not out of the ballpark of State Government that can't live within their means, don't seem to be able to operate agencies effectively, and don't always focus on the user groups that they are supposed to support in our activities.
So, here comes my wild prognostication the state is not and will not spend money on fixing the road no matter how many ask, the week spend it on other stuff, even our license money. The State Park is waiting on someone's vehicle to get stuck or better yet to break an axle or rim or roll over, said person sued the State (Parks) for unsafe road conditions. Then the State Parks will just close the road all together (not even WDFW plant trucks) over Safety. And then writing 4 years not even guys that like to hike in to fish will make the walk, because there will be no fish. WDFW will not speak up because then their budge will get hit even deeper. The Parks doesn't have to patrol the area, and can do even less in that area. They call it a win. And all that happens is we lose another area to fish.
As far as volunteering to solve the problem even if a group went through the proper volunteer training and got certified. Even if they bring and paid for all the equipment (dozen, dump truck, gravel, approved sealant, etc.) Volunteered all their own time. Filed and followed ALL the regulations, EPA, SEPA, Endangered Spieces Act papers, UPGRADED to the ADA Requirements. The State Parks people will just not support it because it's easier to just close it, and to bad for us fishers.
I hope my prognostication is wrong, that said with seeing how this state spends money, picks priorities and can't seem to see what they are doing wrong... I think I am closer to right than wrong.
Go fish it while you can! It is a very dear place, holds many many memories!
Tight lines
Fourbtgait
Life of the Party
Truthfully, it is only one of many places that needs upgraded. I can think of several others under state control, many more under federal control here in eastern Washington.
Campgrounds bring in more money, tourists to spend money, whereas fly fishermen are basically loners wanting no one else on the lake.
The ROI from us is minuscule.
Campgrounds bring in more money, tourists to spend money, whereas fly fishermen are basically loners wanting no one else on the lake.
The ROI from us is minuscule.
It would be great if we still had programs like the WPA or CCC to go knock stuff like this out. We still have a lot of nice things they did back in the day.
SF
SF
With all the layoffs in 2025 and 2026, it may happen again
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