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Storms, a seawall breach and a clogged spillway strain State Parks operations
Summary
Operations staff described major winter storm impacts across the system including a large landslide washout on the Palouse-Cascades Trail, a seawall breach at Kamah Beach where temporary "super sacks" were deployed, and a Lake Sylvia spillway clog that led to a dam study; staff also reported on a Fort Wharton winter lodging pilot.
Operations Director John Crimmins summarized recent storm damage and emergency responses across the state parks system.
Crews logged hundreds of hours clearing downed trees and restoring visitor access after atmospheric rivers in December. Crimmins highlighted a significant landslide washout of the Palouse-Cascades Trail, noting the terrain will likely require complex engineering solutions and potentially bridge structures to repair the route.
At Kamah (Kama) Beach a section of an aging seawall failed during a storm. Crimmins said staff, tribal partners and multi-division teams mobilized to install temporary sandbag-and-fabric "super sacks" to protect adjacent cultural resources while long-term options are evaluated. He described the measure as a short-term protective step while permitting and design for a durable solution proceed.
Crimmins also described a Lake Sylvia incident where a log boom failure clogged the dam spillway and raised lake levels; park staff coordinated with local emergency management to clear the spillway, lower lake levels and reopen the park. He said a structural study of the dam is underway and that there were no immediate structural failures of the dam itself.
Separately, Fort Wharton hosted a wintertime lodging pilot using selected rehabilitated buildings; the pilot produced roughly $40,000 in revenue and about 32% occupancy across trial dates. Crimmins told commissioners the pilot will continue as the agency monitors maintenance and visitor feedback.
Commissioners thanked operations staff for rapid responses and asked staff to continue tracking damages for potential FEMA reimbursement and for prioritizing long-term capital needs in the upcoming budget cycle.
