City of Leavenworth’s free river shuttle begins operation for summer

LEAVENWORTH — The City of Leavenworth’s free river shuttles returned for the summer season on July 4. The shuttle resumed shortly after the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery (LNFH) closed its Icicle Creek boat launch to public parking on June 30.

In the past, parking remained open through late July to provide access for tribal fishers after the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife sport fishing season. The public parking area is commonly used by river users to begin their float from Icicle Creek to the Wenatchee River. However, due to changes in staffing and operational capacity, LNFH closed its gates early and developed an alternate access route for tribal fishers.

“This year we are trying an alternate access route for the tribal fishery, allowing us to prioritize our staff's time on hatchery operations rather than managing the parking area after the sport fishery has closed,” said U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson Lena Chang.

Walk-in access remains open, with transport available through the city’s river shuttle. The river shuttle will be offered between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. during weekends and select holidays through Sept. 1. It will depart from the East Leavenworth Boat Ramp approximately every 30 minutes, dropping river users off at the hatchery boat launch on Icicle Creek, as well as the Icicle Road Bridge Access Park on the Wenatchee River. 

However, the early parking closure may coincide with this year’s flows. LNFH advises against floating Icicle Creek when the flow drops below 300 cubic feet per second (cfs), as floating may take significantly longer, “posing challenges for safety and enjoyment.” As of July 3, Icicle Creek flows were near 300 cfs. The Wenatchee River is a recommended alternative when Icicle flows drop.

Additionally, low summer flows are a vulnerable window for fish in Icicle Creek. Water temperatures rise as flows drop, causing increased stress for fish. Human presence can exacerbate this stress, as well as disturb spawning beds.

The draft River Recreation Management Plan also recognizes “river use (fishing, tubing, SUP, swimming, etc) that starts in June has the potential to impact redds of a species that is listed as Threatened under the Endangered Species Act.” Specifically, Steelhead spawning overlaps with the tubing season, with juveniles emerging from their redds in late June to early July. Adult spring Chinook spawning begins in July. 

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media