Should kayakers stay out of the Spokane River when it floods?
In 2008, I took this photo of the benches along the Centennial Trail near Upriver Drive when the Spokane River flooded.
At the time, there was an ordinance implemented to ban recreational activities in the river during this stage. Kayakers were upset. Why would the government outlaw our sport, after all? Reader Todd Sackmann pointed out a KXLY report from that year via email:
Right now, the Spokane River is on steroids. It’s not quite up to 2008 levels when it reached 40,000 cubic feet per second but it’s still a force to be reckoned with and with the rain, the volume will undoubtedly increase. The Spokane Fire Department is warning people to stay out of the river which harkens back to the debate from several years ago: Is this too restrictive for kayakers?
This week, we’ve already had numerous kayakers getting pulled from the river, keeping police and fire busy. I just want to remind folks to be safe. I wouldn’t want to be out there but maybe I’m a wuss. I’m scared of the higher water levels pushing logs and big debris into the river, increasing the danger.
I prefer to watch from a distance. It has been amazing to see hundreds of people gathered along the river at Spokane Falls to see how dramatic the river can be while children have been dancing in the constant spray of water on the suspension footbridge in Riverfront Park.
You can monitor the Spokane River flow data in real time with the United States Geological Survey HERE. As of this posting, it’s at 33,000 cubic feet per second just above the flood threshold.
