West Richland adopts ordinance to allow youth fishing and limited nonmotorized boating at Park at the Lakes

The West Richland City Council adopted Ordinance O4-25 on Feb. 18, 2025, amending park-use rules to allow persons 17 years and younger to fish at Park at the Lakes and to permit nonmotorized boating for minors with adult supervision and required personal flotation devices.

The ordinance responds to resident requests to reopen the lakes for youth fishing after a 2021 ban. Public Works Director Roscoe Slade told the council the mayor directed staff and city legal and risk representatives to review the issue and return recommended code language. “If adopted tonight, [this] would allow youth fishing and minors to do nonmotorized boating with adult supervision,” Slade said.

Why it matters: the change restores limited recreational access to a neighborhood park that residents and the Parks Board sought to reopen for families, while the city and its insurer recommended safeguards to limit liability and avoid turning the lakes into a regional fishing venue. The council voted unanimously to adopt the ordinance.

The ordinance (as explained by Slade) allows minors 17 years and younger to fish; minors 14 and younger must be supervised by an adult when fishing or boating. State fishing-license requirements are incorporated into the code: anglers age 15 must carry a youth license; ages 16–17 must carry the applicable adult license. The code limits each person to a single fishing pole and prohibits trimming or removing park vegetation without written city permission. The ordinance also bans cannabis use in City parks, prohibits winter ice activities (including ice skating and ice fishing), and keeps motorized boating banned.

Enforcement and penalties: Slade said the city attorney and police chief worked to add enforcement options beyond fines so officers can educate, issue warnings, or trespass rule violators from all city parks. The draft included civil penalties; Slade said the prior draft referenced a $250 fine and the new text clarifies an appeal process for park trespass notices drafted with city legal counsel. City legal counsel Jessica Fultz told the council that if a statutory definition is absent, courts resort to standard definitions, and she cited Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife language for “fishing” that includes acts to catch or attempt to catch fish.

Public comment: resident Terry Davies, speaking virtually, thanked staff and council for the changes and said local residents are “looking forward, as spring comes, to see kids enjoying fishing again.”

Council questions noted practical limits: Slade explained the lakes are in a low-density neighborhood with limited parking and no restrooms and are not intended as a stocked, regional fishing facility. Councilmember Bloom asked whether the code should reference the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife definition of fishing; legal counsel said the state definition would apply if the code lacks its own definition. Councilmember Moran and others discussed the single-pole limit and personal flotation device requirements for supervised minors.

The council approved the ordinance with a unanimous voice vote. The mayor also announced an executive session later in the meeting to discuss potential litigation under state open-meeting law; no action followed the executive session.

Looking ahead: With the ordinance in place, staff said they will coordinate enforcement, signage, and any minimal maintenance or vegetation work needed to provide safe access for youth fishing. If operational details require adjustments, staff said they would return to council.