Wildfire delays work on Beaver Hill retaining wall

LEAVENWORTH — Chelan County Public Works has decided to delay road improvement work on Chumstick Highway’s Beaver Hill “out of an abundance of caution” due to nearby wildfire activity.

The project, located between mileposts 12.3 and 12.4 on Beaver Hill, involves building a retaining wall at the site of a landslide that occurred this past winter.

Chelan County officials announced the decision on July 27 after meeting with wildfire personnel. Firefighters are currently battling the 24,400-acre Little Giant Fire, which is burning in a remote part of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest north of the Lake Wenatchee area. 

Evacuation advisories are in effect for the lower Chiwawa River Valley, with lower evacuation levels reaching into the Fish Lake area. Chumstick Highway is one of two primary routes between the Lake Wenatchee area and Leavenworth.

Chumstick Highway is one of two main routes connecting the Plain/Lake Wenatchee area to Leavenworth, making it a key transportation corridor for residents and emergency access.

Construction was originally scheduled to start Aug. 10. However, the work zone would have required a full road closure for about three weeks, according to county officials.

The county said it would announce a new start date when available; due to the necessity of the work, construction is expected to occur during the school year. 

Chelan County built a retaining wall on Beaver Hill to stabilize the slope in 2016. While the wall held up during the December 2025 weather event, a slide occurred just past it, officials said. The project will extend the existing retaining wall by 150 feet, as well as repair and stabilize nearby slopes with additional fill and a new guardrail.