The Stehekin River is one of the world’s great wonders, tumbling in a deep, narrow gorge from the glaciated summits of the Cascade crest at Cascade Pass to fjordlike Lake Chelan. Thanks to a movement of citizen activists, the entire Stehekin River valley has been preserved since 1968 for the enjoyment of future generations.
But now that protection is threatened by a Trump administration effort to block and channelize a portion of the river.
In December 2025, an atmospheric river swept through Washington, causing devastating flooding throughout the state, including in Stehekin. Homes in Stehekin were flooded and residents were trapped by floodwaters for days, even weeks. The flood destroyed portions of the Company Creek Road, the only access for some residents to their homes. When the floodwaters receded, it became clear that the former route of the road was now submerged under the river.
Although the park service was slow in its initial response to this emergency, by March 2026, the service had developed a plan to rebuild the road that would have met homeowners’ need for access while leaving the beautiful Stehekin River unimpaired.
In developing plans, the National Park Service rejected proposals to put the road back where it used to be, since that was now in the river, or even to build it right on the riverbank. Park officials cited in early 2026 “the likelihood it will be damaged again in not-too-future flooding events,” and wrote “[we] do not consider it a reasonable use of taxpayer funds.” Park experts also recognized the flooding pattern is worsening due to climate change. After the catastrophic 2025 event, park officials concluded, “pursuing the same road alignment is no longer viable. The fundamental problem has been the close proximity of the road to the river, so the preferred action this time is to shift the road away from the river.”
By June, the Park Service had rebuilt all but 200 feet of the missing road on a route set back from the river. Local residents constructed a dirt road across the remaining 200-foot gap. Property owners accessed their homes using that road and fire crews drove across it to build fire lines to protect the community against the Sisi fire. All that remained was to build up that short stretch of dirt road with proper engineering to withstand fall and spring high water.
Unfortunately, at this point Trump administration officials intervened, ordering the park service to approve a new $1.5 million plan to block, divert and channelize a portion of the Stehekin River by adding 700 feet of rock and placing the final section of road in the river. It is one more tragic instance of the Trump administration’s abandonment of the core preservation mission of the NPS. We don’t know the reason for the intervention.
The administration is building a border wall through the canyons of Big Bend National Park and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument; entertained the idea of a major league ballpark in Grand Teton National Park; and is considering allowing a private developer to build its own road into Yosemite National Park. And now it has ordered the bulldozing of the Stehekin River during salmon spawning season at the request of a few private interests.
Thankfully the North Cascades Conservation Council decided to sue the National Park Service, and a federal judge has temporarily stopped the project. But this is only a brief pause. Those who love our national parks should not tolerate this impact to a potential wild and scenic river, especially when a viable option exists to provide Stehekin residents with road access and flood protection on land while letting the beautiful Stehekin River run free.
