Ski trail will shift a bit
Nordic skiers using the Methow Trails system next winter will find a slight alteration in the area near Kelly’s restaurant on Highway 20. A homeowner who had granted a 350-foot easement for the trail has requested a release from that agreement, Methow Trails Executive Director James DeSalvo said this week.
DeSalvo said Methow Trails is working on an arrangement with the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) to allow that part of the trail to be shifted to WSDOT right-of-way along Highway 20. DeSalvo said most users probably won’t notice much of a difference.
DeSalvo said Methow Trails is also working with WSDOT to formalize agreements that allow four existing road crossings for the ski trail between Early Winters and Brown’s Farm.
Sockeye fishing closed
The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has closed the upper Columbia River from Rocky Reach Dam to Chief Joseph Dam to sockeye salmon retention because elevated water temperatures have resulted in higher-than-average mortality of sockeye returning to the Okanogan River.
“This fishing closure for sockeye salmon is needed to protect these fish from harvest and allow them to migrate to their spawning grounds when water temperatures improve,” WDFW said in a press release.
