Q’emiln Park Boat Launch to close

The Q’emiln Park Boat Launch ramp on the Spokane River in Post Falls will close for the season Nov. 11.

The ramp, located upstream of Avista’s Post Falls Hydroelectric Development, is typically closed each year in mid-November because of weather conditions and dropping water levels.

The boat launch must remain closed for much of fall through spring for safety reasons, Avista said in a Monday media announcement. The ramp generally re-opens in the late spring or early summer, depending on the amount of inflow into Lake Coeur d’Alene.

As of Tuesday, the water level of the Spokane River between Lake Coeur d'Alene and the Post Falls bridge was 2,125.15 cubic feet per second. The elevation of the water in the river above the dam will drop as Avista continues the drawdown. The flow in the Spokane River below Post Falls was about 2,060 cubic feet per second, of which about 1,910 cubic feet per second is flowing in the South Channel and 150 cubic feet per second is flowing in the North Channel. Flows are expected to remain about the same next week.

Water levels and conditions around the dam are subject to change at any time. River users should exercise caution whenever using the waterways. Customers can access waterflow information online at www.myavista.com/waterflow or by calling Avista’s 24-hour telephone information line, where recorded information is provided to advise shoreline property owners, commercial and recreational users of changes in the lake levels and river flows that may affect plans for water use on the Spokane River and Lake Coeur d’Alene.

Info: 208-769-1357