Powering Down Floaters And Powerboaters Square Off Over Limited Ban On Motors In Hells Canyon

Pausing from the hot work of rowing a drift boat, Snake River outfitter George Hauptman cocked his head to hear chukar partridges calling from the basalt cliffs.

It’s a sound that’s seldom heard in the depths of Hells Canyon this time of year. Not that the birds ever leave; it’s just that their calls are drowned by the roar of boat engines echoing off the basalt walls that enclose 31.5 miles of river designated “wild” and another 36 miles designated “scenic.”

But on that particular day, a Monday in July, the canyon was quiet, except for the partridges, the whitewater and the hoots of Hauptman’s clients. It would be quiet the next day and the next, before jetboats with one, two or three V-8 engines returned to the heart of the canyon.

“I keep expecting to see (jetboats) coming around the bend,” said Hauptman, who has been guiding clients through Hells Canyon since 1980. “I’ve never experienced the river like this.”

Under a hotly-contested policy that was 10 years in the making, the U.S. Forest Service now bars powerboats from the wildest 21 miles of the river every-other Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of the summer. The three-day nonmotorized periods started this year, in late June.

The remaining 46.5 miles of Snake River in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area are unaffected by the ban. That includes 10.5 miles of “wild” river and the entire “scenic” section.

Tour-boat operators hope this is the only summer the restrictions apply. The Hells Canyon Alliance, a group that includes commercial boaters and related businesses, has asked a federal judge to declare the nonmotorized periods illegal.

“Our summer season isn’t really very long … so 21 days is a major part of that season,” said Art Seamans, a retired Forest Service river manager who splits his time between driving a tour boat and lobbying for the Alliance.

The Alliance has the support of Sen. Larry Craig and Rep. Helen Chenoweth, Idaho Republicans who have introduced bills forbidding the nonmotorized bans.

The identical bills, which are not yet scheduled for House or Senate votes, state that it was never Congress’ intent to limit powerboats, which have been used in the canyon since 1865, when a 100-foot sternwheeler inched its way upstream from Lewiston, Idaho. There is no conflict between powerboats and floaters, the bills declare.

Most people who visit the canyon lack the time, stamina or money to take a four-day float trip, Seamans noted. They board 40-seat commercial boats in Lewiston for a 170-mile round-trip that is over in eight hours.

During the nonmotorized periods, the trip is shorted 144 miles roundtrip. Visitors miss the biggest rapids and don’t see the peaks that make Hells Canyon the nation’s deepest gorge. That’s unfair to people whose schedules can’t work around the nonmotorized periods, Seamans said.

Many non-commercial boaters also oppose the regulations.

“There are a lot of rivers they can raft. In Idaho, we don’t have a lot of (whitewater) rivers we can run these boats on,” said Jay Weaver of Boise, who recently spent three days fishing for sturgeon and smallmouth bass in the canyon.

Like Hauptman, many floaters favor the restrictions, saying visitors should have a chance to experience the canyon without the noise and wakes of powerboats. That’s created an uneasy tension between those who go with the flow and those with the power to buck it.

“We may like each other off the river. But the fact of the matter is that when you’re sitting in an inflatable kayak and a guy’s coming at you, creating a wake and spewing diesel fumes, it’s a conflict,” said Hauptman, who testified before Congress in favor of restrictions.

Many environmentalists favor more severe restrictions, including barring all powerboats from the “wild” portion of the river or scaling back use to 1975 levels.

“Everybody thinks we should be so pleased that we got these three-day nonmotorized periods, but it gives very, very little relief,” said Ric Bailey of the Hells Canyon Preservation Council, a group that is suing the Forest Service for more limits. “It’s not going to provide an opportunity for anybody to enjoy the incredible wilderness values of Hells Canyon.”

Those who support nonmotorized periods and other restrictions note that floaters in the canyon have been restricted by permits since the mid1970s.

The Forest Service allows two commercial float parties and three non-commercial parties to launch each summer day (there are no limits during the off-season). Each party can have up to eight boats and 24 people. Cancellations are common, opening up some permits for floaters on a first-come, first-served basis.

Until this year, there was no similar permit structure for powerboaters. The new permit system allows up to six non-commercial boats a day on the wild river and 23 on the scenic stretch. Licensed commercial boats aren’t limited.

There’s a short waiting list of powerboat owners wanting to get on the wild stretch of river during summer weekends, said river manager Linda McFaddan. “During the week, we usually have vacancies,” she said.

The Hells Canyon Alliance plans rallies at three Hells Canyon launch sites on Aug. 23, and are working to gain the support of groups that might not otherwise have given the controversy a second thought. On July 26, for instance, operator Mike Luther gave a free tour of the canyon to a group of about 40 disabled Washington and Idaho residents.

“If we were doing this trip tomorrow, we wouldn’t be able to go any further,” Luther said over his loudspeaker as the group reached Kirkwood Lodge, the start of the nonmotorized stretch of river. “I think that’s kind of unfair.”

Luther’s message struck home with at least one of his guests.

“I can’t make it to the rally,” the man said as he shook Luther’s hand. “But I’ll sure write letters.”