Methow Valley: Chewuch River

Chewuch Field Trip - 7/16/11The Wilderness Society and the Methow Valley Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest are working together to restore the health of the Chewuch River basin by reducing the environmental impacts of the road network.

Over the next three years, TWS and the ranger district will work with community members, tribes, scientists, and users of the Chewuch to identify and implement a road system that leads to a safe, reliable road network that also is compatible with a thriving Chewuch watershed.

With its headwaters located in the wild and pristine Pasayten Wilderness, the Chewuch River and surrounding forest lands provide critical habitat to a number of species, including spring Chinook, steelhead, bulltrout, mule deer and Canada lynx. It travels down to the heart of Winthrop where the Chewuch meets the Methow River and continues its journey to the mighty Columbia River. Yet the Chewuch is also a river basin that tops the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest’s list of most endangered river basins in the national forest due to more than 600 miles of old, crumbling roads.


The Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest has recognized that the river basin is in poor shape and something must be done before the river basin’s health worsens any further. That’s why the national forest’s Methow Valley Ranger District is working to restore the river basin by revamping the road system with the Methow Valley community’s help.

Chewuch Public Workshop - 8/4/11 Working Together for a Healthy Chewuch - Summer 2011 Update

Since December 2010, The Wilderness Society has reached out to the Methow Valley community and other stakeholders to get early feedback on the Chewuch roads system on the Forest Service’s Methow Valley Ranger District. The feedback, compiled from stakeholder briefings, an online survey, two field trips and two public meetings, was used to produce a report to the Forest Service (released on August 23, 2011).

The multi-part outreach effort yielded a wealth of information, including nearly 400 remarks about road usage and management. 

Several themes and issues emerged from comments and discussions: 

  • Roads are important for multiple-use management of the forest and the watershed. 
  • The area’s four-season recreational opportunities are the lifeblood of the local economy, and roads provide essential access to recreational experiences and destinations.
  • Salmon recovery is a priority consideration; divergent views exist about road impacts on salmon habitat and populations. 
  • Where necessary and possible, road closures and re-openings should be designed to allow continued recreational access and to minimize costs. 
  • Some recreational users are interested in taking on more responsibility for maintaining roads and trails in the area. 
  • Partnerships may hold the key to satisfying the public’s desire for a well-maintained and managed road system while reducing Forest Service road maintenance costs. 

With continued public involvement, outreach and partnerships, we are optimistic that the Forest Service will be able to work together with diverse community members and stakeholders to develop a successful new transportation plan for a healthy Chewuch.

There are a number of ways you can read and save the report:

 

 

 

Photos:  by Chris Butler, Yakama Nation Fisheries Biologist

Photo top right: Chewuch watershed, Bromas Creek area. Picture shows old road blowout due to blocked culvert.

Photo bottom left: Chewuch watershed, Bromas Creek area. Picture shows old road, after road was removed and repair completed to the land.