Tag Archives: lake

Events, Soon

Kids and cowboys focus on Father’s Day weekend

 

Young trapeze artists perform in a Wenatchee Youth Circus 2009 visit to Coulee Dam.
Young trapeze artists perform in a Wenatchee Youth Circus 2009 visit to Coulee Dam.

This weekend is for kids, cowboys and classic car lovers.

Saturday is the 12th annual Koulee Kids Fest, offering a whole range of activities. The chamber of commerce-organized event features, among other things, two performances by the Wenatchee Youth Circus.

Those performances will be at 2 and 6 p.m ., at the Lake Roosevelt football stadium.

The youth circus is sponsored by the Coulee Dam Federal Credit Union as part of its 75th year celebration. Admission is free and is open to the public.

A bull gains the upper hoof in a 2015 ride at the Cleatis Lacy Bull Ride.
A bull gains the upper hoof in a 2015 ride at the Cleatis Lacy Bull Ride.

Also this weekend, on Friday night, the Ridge Riders are sponsoring the Fifth Annual Cleatis Lacy Memorial Bull Ride at the Rodeo Grounds. That event begins at 7 p.m ., and features a $2,500 added purse for bull riders.

The evening also features a wild horse race and mini-bronc riding contest.

The Ridge Riders will have their Pendleton Whiskey and Coors Beer garden, and offer food and treats at its concession booth.

Price for the bull ride is $12; kids 10 and under get in free.

Kids can get started on their special day Saturday by picking up their passports and map at one of the following locations: Coulee Hardware, Grand Coulee Dam Visitor Center, or the concession stand at the Lake Roosevelt High School football field.

Things to do include chalk art, getting a look inside a fire engine or the MedStar helicopter, ride a pedal boat at Coulee Playland, do a little face painting, enter a coloring contest and play a round of mini golf at Sunbanks Lake Resort.

Although not officially part of Kids Fest, the Coulee Cruizers are set to offer their annual show and shine of collector cars at Banks Lake Park on Saturday, too.

Checking out cool cars at the Coulee Cruisers' show and shine exhibit at Banks Lake Park.
Checking out cool cars at the Coulee Cruisers’ show and shine exhibit at Banks Lake Park.

When your energy begins to wane, you can get a pick-me-up by getting one of Julie Tillman’s turkey sandwiches at the Lake Roosevelt football field, between 11 a.m. and 5 p.m ., while supplies last.

Kids, cowboys, and car lovers, have fun this weekend.

Astounding Facts, Boating, swimming and fishing

Lake will be coming up over 4th of July weekend

With a little less than 1.4 million gallons per second flowing out of Lake Roosevelt and down the Columbia River Tuesday morning, about 75,000 gallons per second were spilling over the top.
With a little less than 1.4 million gallons per second flowing out of Lake Roosevelt and down the Columbia River July 1, about 75,000 gallons per second were spilling over the top.

With Lake Roosevelt about 4 feet from being full, the Bureau of Reclamation expects the lake to rise starting July 3 by up to a half foot each day through the weekend.

Filling the lake lifts accumulated debris off the shores and into the water where it can be dangerous to boaters.

The Bureau of Reclamation is advising people camping along the Lake Roosevelt shoreline over the July 4 weekend to be aware of potential dangers that could exist due to rapidly rising lake levels.

“When camping along the shoreline, it is recommended that tents and other belongings be kept well away from the water’s edge,” said Public Affairs Officer Lynne Brougher. “Although the lake is a popular vacation spot, it is also a working reservoir that supplies water for hydroelectric facilities at Grand Coulee Dam which can result in rapid fluctuations.”

Brougher says campsites that are too close to the water’s edge could potentially become flooded and boats that are not properly anchored or secured could drift out into the lake and become a safety hazard.

Reclamation must adhere to the court-ordered 2008/2010 FCRPS Biological Opinion requiring the lake to be at the full pool elevation of 1,290 feet above sea level between late June and early July. It was at 1,286 feet above sea level Tuesday evening.

 

Boating, swimming and fishing, Uncategorized

Lake is still accessible to boats

The dock at Crescent Bay is high and icy, but the boat launch is still very usable, even if most of the bay is ice in background.
The dock at Crescent Bay is high and icy, but the boat launch is still very usable, even if most of the bay is ice in background.

I had a call from a guy on the coast wondering if he could still launch his boat on Lake Roosevelt this weekend if he brought his son over for a little winter fishing.
The answer: an emphatic yes, with footnotes.
Here’s the lake level situation and more.
Right now (about 3 pm, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2014), the lake level is predicted to “stabilize” at around 1,271 feet above sea level, or about 19 feet below the completely full mark.
That leaves most launches open, including Crescent Bay and Spring Canyon.
That said, you might find your favorite cove iced over. Even Crescent Bay is solid, which hasn’t happened in years.
I’ve talked to guys catching rainbow at what we like to call Geezer Beach, and one fellow told me his group caught two limits on the shore at Swawilla Basin last week.
You can find current lake level in this chart under “Midnight Elevation Level.”
And here’s our list of boat launch elevations.
MINIMUM BOAT LAUNCH ELEVATIONS
Crescent Bay 1265′
Spring Canyon 1222′
Keller Ferry 1229′
Hansen Harbor 1253′
Jones Bay 1266′
Lincoln Mill 1245′
Hawk Creek 1281′
Seven Bays 1227′
Fort Spokane 1247′
Porcupine Bay 1243′
Hunters Camp 1230′
Gifford 1249′
Daisy 1265′
Bradbury Beach 1251′
Kettle Falls 1234′
Marcus Island 1281′
Evans 1280′
North Gorge 1280′
Snag Cove 1277′
French Rocks 1265′
Napoleon Bridge 1280′
China Bend 1277′

Astounding Facts, Boating, swimming and fishing

Where to launch your boat on Lake Roosevelt during the government shutdown

There actually is a way to get your boat onto Lake Roosevelt, even with all the National Park Service ramps barricaded during the government shutdown.
Bear in mind, ranger staffing on the 131-mile long national recreation area is minimal, so if you go, you’re on your own.

Get your boat on Lake Roosevelt despite govt shutdown.

Boating, swimming and fishing, Uncategorized

Tribal report says no harm to native runs from escaped farm fish

Upper Columbia steelhead runs are safe and not threatened by farm-raised trout that escaped from net pens off the shores of Rufus Woods Lake this summer, the business that raises the fish said Monday.

A press release from Pacific Aquaculture Inc. states that a senior resident fisheries biologist with the Colville Tribes investigated the situation recently.

The fish farm pays rent and royalties to the Colville Tribes to operate its net pens some 20 miles downstream from Grand Coulee Dam, where it feeds millions of fish.

More than 100,000 of them escaped last summer, following massive die-offs that resulted from too much air injected into the water at Grand Coulee Dam during spring runoff.

The escaped fish triggered a boon in local fishing tourism, with up to 100 or so rigs reportedly parked at the Seaton’s Grove boat launch at times.

“There is no evidence that these farm raised trout are feeding on young migrating steelhead,” said Ed Shallenberger, a Ph.D. with over 20 years’ experience conducting physical and biological studies in the mid-Columbia River, the fish farm reported.

“A recent in-depth analysis of the stomachs of 187 of the escaped farm-raised trout in Rufus Woods Lake determined that the primary food sources for these fish were insects and snails,” Shallenberger said. “Of the 187 fish that were analyzed, only eight had remains from sculpins and sticklebacks. No remains from juvenile trout or salmon were found.”

Shallenberger conducted the tests as part of an ongoing study of Rufus Woods Lake. Concern had been raised by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and others about the safety of young migrating steelhead.

Established in 1941 as a small retail shop in Portland, Ore., Pacific Seafood has become a leader in the seafood industry.

“Like the Department of Fish and Wildlife, we are concerned with the well-being of native fish on the river,” said Pacific Aquaculture Manager John Bielka. “Our top priority has always been to run an operation that is sustainable and safe for the Columbia River System.”

During a special season on Rufus Woods Lake in August, anglers caught hundreds of the escaped sterile trout ranging from 5-10 pounds. The special season attracted anglers from across Washington state.

“While the situation was unfortunate,” Bielka stated, “steelhead runs are safe and the net impact of the fish farm remains positive – for tourism and retail sales and employment for the Colville Nation.”