Many issues circulate around Lake Roosevelt

What do you want to see at Lake Roosevelt in the future?

Managers for the national recreation area say they are getting a better understanding of public sentiment about the 154-mile Columbia River Reservoir after asking that initial question at four public meetings this month from Spokane to Colville.

Debbie Bird, the National Park Service supervisor for the area, scheduled the public hearings to launch shoreline management planning for issues such as human waste sanitation at undeveloped campsites.

“We had 20-40 people at each meeting and written responses are coming in,” she said. “People are telling us they don’t want Lake Roosevelt to go the way of Lake Coeur d’Alene. They don’t want it overdeveloped.

“Everyone seems to prize the freedom of all the public land.

“Many have said the lake has the best fishing around.”

The national recreation area includes about 60 percent of Lake Roosevelt’s 500-plus miles of shoreline. Most of the rest of the shoreline is along the Colville or Spokane Indian reservations.

The Park Service had identified several issues to address, including demands for private access from developments along the lake, overcrowded public access points and aquatic weed infestations.

“Many people had experienced our concern for the lack of human sanitation on some of our most popular undeveloped beaches, and they want us to do something about it,” Bird said.

This is a time to flush out all the viewpoints.

Ed Wimberley, who’s operated Kettle Falls Marina and houseboat rentals for 21 years, said he was offended that the Park Service seemed to be suggesting the lakeshore is polluted with human waste.

“We don’t want to be painted with that brush up here in the north part of the lake. Our beaches are clean and our boating community takes care of them,” he said, noting that the marina organized a beach cleanup last year.

“I think that’s part of what the Park Service needs to do – get boaters involved,” Wimberley said.

While houseboats generally help keep the lake clean by providing self-contained toilets for renters camping on the lake, Wimberley has seen problems with overloaded houseboats.

“A houseboat with two bathrooms cannot handle 20 people,” he said. “When a boat is overloaded, they end up going to shore to go to the bathroom. They leave a mess. Yet the Park Service doesn’t enforce the Coast Guard’s 13-person limit on these boats.”

Many of the problems could be solved by putting more manpower on the lake and letting boaters know where to call to report problems, he said.

Eric Weatherman pointed out that all marinas on Lake Roosevelt are required to pump boat holding tanks for free, yet the Park Service does little to publicize that service. The lake should have more toilets available along the lake, he said.

“The Park Service is listening to all of these concerns,” Bird said.

“Across the board, people say we need more toilet facilities. Our floating toilets are very popular.

“We’re trying to sort out where we develop more areas with cooking tables and toilets and possibly put them on a reservation system. On the other hand, we have people who are self-contained. They prefer a more primitive experience and the freedom to camp without a reservation or fees.

The Park Service often gets complaints about people who hog choice undeveloped campsites for weeks and even months during the summer.

“It’s a big place,” Bird said. “We hope to offer a range of experiences, and be fair to everyone.”

Of course, suggestions that require more manpower and more facilities will require more funding – wishful thinking, perhaps, given the government’s ballooning budget deficit.

“The Colville Tribe charges a fee for a permit to camp and picnic on their land,” Bird said. “We’re trying to get a sense if that’s what the public wants on the national recreation area.

“But one thing is already clear,” she said. “There’s overwhelming sentiment that this is a precious resource and we need to take care of it.”