County, port consider buoy maintenance

Members of the boards of commissioners of Wahkiakum County and Port District No. 2 on Tuesday agreed to consider how they might continue to maintain channel marker buoys on Grays Bay.

The channel is not part of a system maintained by the US Coast Guard. A private towboat company once maintained channel buoys but pulled them when they ceased operating from Deep River.

In response to citizen input about eight years ago, Port 2 agreed to install the buoys, and the county agreed to contribute $7,000 for the project. Local boaters marked the channel, and the port found a volunteer fishing vessel owner who placed the five buoys to mark the channel.

This year, however, Port 2 commissioners said they had neither the equipment nor the money to maintain the buoys and they contacted the Department of Natural Resources to see about breaking the aquatic lands lease they have for the buoys.

That news reached the board of commissioners who remembered the county's $7,000 contribution and asked to meet with the port commission to disucuss the project.

Port Manager Bob Robinson told the county board that the port has maintenance obligations it can't meet because their expense and lack of equipment such as a boat. A diver is supposed to inspect the buoys every year, he said, but the port doesn't have money for that. The port also hasn't been able to submit required reports.

One of the buoys washed away last winter, he added, and if it's located, the port would have the expense of relocating it.

Basically, the port is trying to focus on upgrading its main project, Skamokawa Vista Park, and it has little money for other projects, such as the buoys.

"We feel the risk and liability outweigh the benefit to navigation because of the limited commerce in Deep River," he said.

"I think it's a burden on the port," said port Commissioner Brian O'Conner.

"We have no equipment; we have no staff, and we have no expertise within the port to handle this," said port Commissioner Kayrene Gilbertsen. "And all of us (except port Commissioner Carlton Appelo) have come on the board since this was done."

She added that port commissioners want to serve residents of all regions of the port district, "but this has not been in the scope of what we can do."

However, county commissioners and citizens said there is considerable traffic, especially from sturgeon anglers, using Deep River launching facilities.

They noted that the state Department of Fish and Wildlife is talking about purchasing a privately owned boat launch on Deep River and seeing that facility expanded.

Grays River resident Al George reminded officials that he and others had gathered petitions signed by over 400 people calling for installation of the buoys eight years ago.

The channel hasn't changed since the buoys were installed, he added, so the buoys wouldn't have to be repositioned.

County commissioners noted that there are other potential sources of money that could support the channel maintenance.

The county's Marine Resource Committee has already approved an appropriation that expires June 30 with the end of the state fiscal year.

If state Fish and Wildlife is going to buy the Oneida ramp, that agency has a stake in seeing the channel maintained, said county commission Chair Lisa Marsyla.

Robinson said Fish and Wildlife had asked to speak with him about the port's possible involvement with the Oneida Ramp.

"We should regroup as commissions and see what we can do," said O'Conner.

Members of both commissions agreed.

Robinson said he would contact Fish and Wildlife and gather other information so that the boards could meet again May 3 to consider further action.