Welcome to Skagit County

April 26th, 2005

LAKE SHANNON BOAT LAUNCH ACCESS OPEN DAYLIGHT HOURS ONLY

Skagit County, Puget Sound Energy partner on traffic control

LAKE SHANNON – Skagit County flagging crews will be on duty during daylight hours and around the clock during weekends for the duration of fishing season from April 30, 2005 to October 30, 2005 to provide anglers with safe driving access to the Lake Shannon boat launch. Access to the boat launch will be for daylight hours only, with no overnight camping.

Thanks to an agreement signed today, Puget Sound Energy will compensate Skagit County for the cost of providing traffic control on the boat launch access road.

“We appreciate Puget’s commitment to providing recreational access to Lake Shannon as well as the efforts of Glacier Northwest,” said Commissioner Ted Anderson. “In ten years of serving as county commissioner, I don’t think there has ever been an issue that made my phone ring so often.”

Earlier this year, due to significant safety concerns, Glacier Northwest was forced to close part of the road providing access to the boat launch. In a series of recent meetings and discussions, Skagit County officials and Glacier Northwest have developed a variety of actions to address these safety issues and have agreed to develop a long-term approach for lake access in the future. Puget Sound Energy has agreed to finance measures to assist the County in providing for safe travel along the access roadway.

Under agreements between the county, Glacier Northwest, and Puget Sound Energy, overnight camping is not permitted at the boat launch this year to reduce safety concerns related to people driving on the narrow access road at night. One alternative camping site for the public is PSE’s Koma Kulshan Campground, located off Baker Lake Road near the Upper Baker Dam.

Glacier Northwest owns property along Lake Shannon’s southeast shore through which the boat launch access road passes. Puget Sound Energy owns the Lower Baker Dam which created the Lake Shannon reservoir. PSE also owns the reservoir’s sole boat ramp. The utility, for decades has allowed free public access to its ramp.

For further information, contact: Dan Berentson
Skagit County Communications Director
360-419-3461