Coffee Creek

In September 2021, the River Complex fire tore through Coffee Creek in a sustained high intensity run, killing nearly all of the trees in the eastern half of the drainage, including along the entire whitewater run and most of its tributary streams.

Fall rains in October 2021 triggered numerous landslides and debris flows and Coffee Creek is now choked with hundreds to thousands of large trees, logs, and other wood blockages. It is fair to say that it is not currently runnable no matter the flow, nor would many paddlers want to run the creek in its current state.

Numerous homes and building burned along Coffee Creek although most of the part of town closest to Highway 3 survived. There are almost certainly other hazards in the creek related to the fire (cables, pipes, etc.).

Fire-related impacts will likely occur throughout this winter and for many years.