Resident tells Okanogan County commissioners City of Omak cleared riparian zone; county schedules permitting session

A resident told the Okanogan County Board of Commissioners that work by the City of Omak had “cut the riparian zone above the bridge, below the bridge, a couple hundred yards,” and alleged the removal violated a 50-foot no‑cut buffer and federal law.

The resident said they had tried to reach state agencies and would next contact tribal authorities, and urged the county to intervene. “Somebody needs to get it stopped because it’s millions of dollars right now,” the speaker said, adding that river temperature had risen and that restoration was needed before August.

County staff and commissioners urged people concerned about project permits or impacts to raise the matter with the City of Omak and with the state agencies that administer shoreline and permitting rules. A county staff member told commissioners that he had spoken with “Todd from the City of Omak” and was told the city’s work in that reach involved routine spring maintenance required by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to keep levees and channels clear. The staff member said the Army Corps’ maintenance rules generally require removal of brush under specified diameters at breast height in some levee or channel-maintenance areas.

Commissioner Pete (referred to in the meeting as “Pete”) and other commissioners suggested the resident raise the matter at the Omak City Council meeting, which the county staff noted was scheduled that evening. County staff also announced a county-organized community work session set for the evening of May 21 at the Red Barn to review permitting basics: Department of Ecology and Department of Natural Resources staff will explain how permitting works, what compliance steps look like, and how to file a complaint. The county described the session as “a 101 skim” of permitting and compliance, not a site-specific enforcement meeting.

Why it matters: riparian vegetation provides shade that affects water temperature and fish habitat, and cutting in regulated riparian buffers can trigger state and federal review and, in some cases, enforcement. At the meeting, participants disagreed about whether the Department of Ecology had been notified; the resident said Ecology “knew nothing about it,” while county staff said they had discussed the maintenance with the city.

Next steps noted at the meeting: the resident said they planned to contact tribal officials and continue outreach; county staff advised contacting the Omak City Council and said the county would host the May 21 informational session with Ecology and DNR staff to explain permitting, filing complaints, and how agencies follow up.