Sunland Estates boat ramp reopened

GEORGE — The recently closed Sunland Estates boat launch, about eight miles west of George, will be reopened this afternoon just in time for the Memorial Day weekend.

On Wednesday, Matt Monda, of the state Fish and Wildlife office in Ephrata, said a sign will be posted stating “launch at your own risk.”

The integrity of the ramp is deteriorated and there’s a large hole at the end of it, said Dennis Beich, Fish and Wildlife’s region 2 director.

The ramp belongs to the state, but is located within Grant County PUD’s project, said Sarah Morford, a PUD spokesperson.

The PUD and Fish and Wildlife completed a preliminary engineering report, in which they determined recreational boat use at low waters caused the damage, she said.

The PUD’s barge was in the area, but it hasn’t been determined to be a primary factor, she added.

Fish and Wildlife recently closed the boat launch indefinitely because it’s unsafe for launching trailered boats.

The department plans to conduct a work assessment and seek the funding and federal permits needed to restore the launch, stated Terrie Preston, the state agency’s northcentral region lands agent.

Other boat launches are also located at:

    • Fish and Wildlife’s Old Vantage Highway access site east of Vantage on the Grant County side of the Columbia river.

    • State Parks’ Wanapum Recreation Area southwest of Vantage on the Kittitas County side of the river.

    • Crescent Bar Recreation Area southwest of Quincy on the Grant County side of the river.

    • WDFW’s Buckshot access site southwest of Mattawa on the Grant County side of the river.

    • WDFW’s Vernita access site east of Priest Rapids Dam on the Grant County side of the river.