For those who fish the Nooch this was a CC in my Email.


Thank you for reaching out and for sharing your concerns about the White Bridge access site. You're absolutely right that we first discussed this back in January, and as I noted during that conversation, it’s a complex and evolving situation. The site on the west side of the river is incredibly nuanced, both in terms of property ownership and the public's use. To clarify an important point: WDFW does not own land on the west side of the Wynoochee River at White Bridge. Instead, we hold an easement along a 25-foot-wide strip of land along the riverbank above the high-water mark, that is situated on private property. This easement was acquired specifically for public fishing access and includes no provisions for other forms of recreation.

Access to the gravel bar from Old Wynoochee Road is along a 60-foot-wide, unmaintained county right-of-way to the ordinary high-water mark. Through an agreement with Grays Harbor County dating back to the 1960s, WDFW has been allowed to manage access to this area in support of public fishing access. While not ideal, particularly due to the lack of parking, this location currently serves as the only launch option while our ramp on the opposite bank remains out of commission. Launching and retrieving boats from the gravel bar along this county right of way is currently allowed.

We fully understand and acknowledge that river use is increasing every year. Unfortunately, with that increased use has come a noticeable uptick in disrespectful and damaging behavior including illegal dumping, vandalism of portable restrooms, theft of private property, fires, off-road vehicle use in the river, drug activity, and reckless driving. These actions are not only harmful to the Access Area but have severely strained the goodwill of adjacent private landowners. Many of them have expressed frustration, and understandably so.

We are actively working with the community and county partners to address these issues. Part of that effort includes clearly notifying the public about what is and is not permitted on this WDFW-managed access area such as is expressed on the sign in your picture. While we remain committed to providing recreational access to the public, we must also balance that with the responsibility of protecting the resource and maintaining respectful relationships with surrounding landowners.

Thank you again for your long-standing connection to this area and for advocating for recreation. We appreciate the dialogue and are happy to continue working toward better, more sustainable access for everyone.

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Matt Blankenship
Assistant Regional Wildlife Program Manager, Region 6
564-233-8438
PO Box 43200, Olympia, WA 98504
matthew.blankenship@dfw.wa.gov