County secures grant to begin assessment of woody debris at Lake Chelan
(Photo is by the City of Chelan)
Chelan County Natural Resources has secured a grant that will be used to complete a comprehensive assessment of the ongoing woody debris problem on Lake Chelan.
The $130,000 grant from the Washington Emergency Management Division will fund the Lake Chelan Woody Debris Waterway Assessment. The assessment, which will be completed by end of year, will be used to determine immediate and long-term solutions to the woody debris problem on Lake Chelan, a lake that shares boundaries with multiple private and public entities and is regulated by numerous agencies.
“I’m very grateful that Chelan County is receiving an important state grant to help assess Lake Chelan’s ongoing woody debris issues,” said Chelan County Commissioner Brad Hawkins. “This grant will help us bring various partners from the Lake Chelan community together to assess the impacts of recent natural disasters, including floods and wildfires, and to determine what steps may be taken to address the current problem and reduce impacts from future events.”
While floating woody debris has long been an issue on Lake Chelan, the problem was exacerbated this year following a December 2025 winter storm that caused significant flooding and landslides in the Lake Chelan watershed. The storm mobilized substantial woody debris into the lake’s tributaries and the lake itself.
In addition, much of the U.S. Forest Service lands surrounding Lake Chelan have been substantially burned over the past 20 years. The 2025 storm event followed the devastating 2024 Pioneer Fire, where more than 38,000 acres burned along the lake’s north shore and around Stehekin.
As a result, while high amounts of wood entered Lake Chelan this year, there remains a reservoir of woody debris along the more than 120 miles of Lake Chelan shoreline, bays and coves, as well as woody debris yet to enter the system in major tributaries.
“In some ways, the December 2025 event was a wake-up call for the lake community,” said Mike Kaputa, director of Chelan County Natural Resources. “There is broad recognition that a coordinated and comprehensive understanding of woody debris must be developed, as well as the development of future mitigation and response.”
The assessment will be completed by the Lake Chelan Collaborative (LCC), a multi-stakeholder forum facilitated by Natural Resources. LCC includes the many agencies with ownership and jurisdiction in Lake Chelan. A draft of the assessment could be available for public comment as early as March 2027 and finalized by June 2027. Among its goals:
Identify wood loading locations around the lake and select major tributaries.
Map the current wood supply and identify likely wood movement patterns through the lake system.
Identify the impacts on private and recreational activities on the lake.
Develop a list of recommendations for wood management as well as future proactive flood effect mitigation efforts.
The implementation of any recommendations from the assessment will require future funding from various governmental partners.
“Lake Chelan’s woody debris issues will likely persist throughout the lake, so we need to put resources forward to evaluate the best options available to mitigate its impacts,” Hawkins said. “Long-term solutions may require extended commitments from various governmental partners in Chelan County so Lake Chelan can continue to be safe and accessible to everyone.”
Lake Chelan is regulated by and associated with numerous local, state, and federal agencies, including the City of Chelan, Chelan County, Chelan County PUD, Manson Parks & Recreation District and the Lake Chelan Reclamation District along with the U.S. Forest Service, National Parks Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington Department of Natural Resources and Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife.
Last Updated: 08/28/2026 01:06 PM
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The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
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The information contained on this site is provided as a courtesy of the Chelan County. Where it exists, the "Index.txt" will contain a brief explanation of files contained in this folder
Chelan County makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on its web site. However, due to the possibility of transmission errors, HTML browser capabilities, changes made since the last update to the site, etc., neither Chelan County, nor any agency, officer or employee of Chelan County warrants the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of any information published by this system and shall not be held liable for any losses caused by reliance on the accuracy, reliability, or timeliness of such information. Portions of such information may be incorrect or not current. Any person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this system does so at his or her own risk.
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