North Cascades National Park is currently revising the management plan for the Ross Lake National Recreation Area, which includes the Skagit River. As part of the planning effort the Park Service has considered a request by American Whitewater to conduct a study on the eligibility and suitability of the Skagit River for protection under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. While the downstream section of the Skagit, which is popular for eagle floats, is designated as Wild and Scenic, what many paddlers do not know is that the well-known whitewater run upstream is not currently designated.
Last week President Bush signed a bill making Wild Sky the first new wilderness area in Washington State in more than a quarter century. The new wilderness includes the headwaters of several whitewater runs including the North Fork Skykomish, Silver Creek, Rapid, and Beckler.
State News