Flooded Stehekin gets $1M lifeline—but will it be enough?
Stehekin, a small community within the Lake Chelan National Recreation Area, has faced months of isolation after catastrophic flooding in December. Heavy rains from an atmospheric river washed out key roads, leaving residents cut off. Now, the National Park Service (NPS) has announced over a million dollars in funding for a temporary emergency route. The flooding began when a broken levee shifted the Stehekin River into a new channel, submerging parts of Company Creek Road. Residents, including property owner Joe Kitchell, have been stranded since December, waiting for a solution. Kitchell has set conditions for any new road: he won’t pay for it, and it must be built across his land, within the river’s path.
NPS started construction on the temporary road the week of April 13, with work expected to take a few weeks. Yet questions remain about the best approach—whether to rebuild the levee or restore the river’s original channel. The debate over long-term river management has resurfaced, as locals push for a permanent fix rather than just a quick repair.
U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell secured a pledge from the Department of the Interior to not only connect the roads but also develop a lasting plan for Stehekin’s future. The community’s survival now hinges on balancing immediate access with sustainable river management. The emergency road will restore temporary access for residents, but the bigger challenge lies ahead. A permanent solution must address river control, levee repairs, and long-term infrastructure. Without it, Stehekin risks facing the same vulnerabilities in future floods.
