goose,

The over-riding concept here is navigation, which is a right almost up there with firearm ownership. WDFW cannot limit navigation. What they can do is prohibit fishing from a boat or from a motor boat if there is a compelling reason. Public safety seems like a compelling reason.

The county commissioners can place reasonable limits on navigation for compelling reasons, such as public safety. They could prohibit the operation of motorboats or impose a speed limit (like the 5 mph limit on many lakes) that would effectively eliminate jet sleds.

I agree that using sleds on small rivers like the Humptulips, Wynoochee, and Satsop poses an unacceptable level of risk to public safety. It amazes me that upstream and downstream bound sleds (neither driver can hear the other) haven't collided on a sharp blind river bend that has only one line of passage through it. Maybe that's what it will take to get some positive action, but that would be unfortunate.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.