Page 14 - Flathead Beacon // 10.22.14

14 | OCTOBER 22, 2014 NEWS FLATHEADBEACON.COM State Restricts Motorized Access on Whitefish River
State commission unanimously approves request to close year-round motorized access along stretch of Whitefish River
By DILLON TABISH of the Beacon
A 3-mile stretch of Whitefish River meandering from the lake through the heart of town has been set aside for pad- dleboarders, kayakers and other non- motorized users.
On Oct. 16, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the city’s request to amend the current no-wake regulation and restrict part of the river to manually powered vessels such as kayaks and stand-up paddleboards or boats with electric motors. The section of river extends from the river’s conflu- ence at Whitefish Lake to the bridge at JP Road. The river was formerly befouled by decades of contaminated sediment from the nearby rail yard and closed for nearly five years as BNSF Railway cleaned the upper stretches of the river through en- vironmental remediation.
Since its reopening, the section of calm water has become popular for pad- dlers and other recreationists.
“I think this will serve the City of Whitefish very positively moving for-
Paddlers in kayaks make their way up the Whitefish River against the currant while competing in The Glacier Challenge. BEACON FILE PHOTO
year-round restriction.
Lee Anderson, warden captain for
FWP’s Region One, told the commission that the agency studied the river during summer and found low levels of motor- ized usage and “few violations of the wake restrictions.”
Yet city officials, including city man- ager Chuck Stearns and Mayor John Muhlfeld, described the non-motorized designation as an important way to pro- vide for safe opportunities for an increas- ing number of non-motorized users.
“During the summer months, it’s a very hostile environment for those wishing to pursue non-motorized use on Whitefish Lake,” Muhlfeld told the commission, citing the popular 3,300-acre lake.
“The area we’re requesting year- round closure for encompasses a mere 25 acres.”
Whitefish’s city council unanimous- ly voted in favor of restricting access as a way to maintain resource conditions and address safety concerns for non- motorized users.
In 1989, the council voted unani- mously to petition FWP to implement a no-wake restriction on the river after complaints stacked up over jet skis and motorboats speeding along the corridor and endangering paddlers and water- front docks.
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ward,” Commission Chairman Dan Ver- million said at the commission meeting in Bozeman, citing economic and cul- tural benefits associated with the out- door recreation industry.
FWP officials recommended the
commission reject the permanent clo- sure for year-round motorized water- craft, citing its support for “multiple uses and maintaining historic access.” Local FWP officials proposed a seasonal closure from July 5-Sept. 30 instead of a
“DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, IT’S A VERY HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT FOR THOSE WISHING TO PURSUE NON-MOTORIZED USE ON WHITEFISH LAKE.” John Muhlfeld, Whitefish City Mayor
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