Officials, officerssupport river projects

Work on Grays River shoreline that received criticism last week before county officials this week received a high approval rating.

The project removed a log jam that was threatening to divert the river and made the wood available for another project on the flood ravaged Gorley Farm, said county Commissioners Dan Cothren, George Trott and Blair Brady.

The work was also done within parameters of state hydraulics permit, they said.

Last week, Delvin Fredrickson of the Grays River Habitat Enhancement District told the commissioners that the contractor was violating terms of the permit and was also trespassing. Fredrickson asked for board support in having the allegations investigated.

The commissioners passed the complaints to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, which sent a wildlife enforcement agent and riparian specialist to investigate.

Commissioner Cothren said he arrived on scene last week after the riparian specialist left but he received a report from the wildlife agent.

"It looked really good," Cothren said. "There was no mining of gravel. There was no damage. It was a good project."

Landowner Phil Zerr, who coordinated the project, said he had found the log jam after last December's floods, and he and neighbors agreed it needed to be removed or it would divert the whole course of the river. He consulted with WDFW and the Columbia River Estuary Taskforce, which was working on the Gorley project, to find a place for the wood.

"It was a win-win situation," Zerr said. "WDFW inspected and said everything was done well. The only problem was that two members of the Grays River Habitat Enhancement District trespassed and made accusations. I've talked to law enforcement and to lawyers over the behavior."