Fish and Wildlife briefs Pateros council on PIT-tag barge proposal; council raises recreation concerns

Representatives from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife presented at a March 25 special meeting about a proposal to use the city boat launch as a staging area for a PIT-tag barge on the lower Methow River. WDF explained the work supports steelhead and salmon recovery and described lessons learned from Wenatchee and Entiat projects.

Council members and community attendees expressed concern that a staged barge could reduce recreational use by canoeists, kayakers and paddle-boarders. In response, WDF said "the barge would have minimal impact on river rafters" and proposed mitigation measures including signage, security cameras and a QR code linking to project information. No formal city approval or permit was recorded at the meeting; council discussion focused on public-safety and recreation trade-offs and potential mitigation.