Port of Dewatto reviews storm damage, revisits online payments

Kirk Boxleitner | Feb 17, 20220

The Port of Dewatto began the year by reviewing its storm damage and revisiting online payments and reservations.

As of the port commissioners’ Jan. 12 meeting, Campground Coordinator Joe Newman said he hadn’t been to the campground since the December snowstorm because the snow was piled high in front of the gates. He told commissioners he’d go there after the snow melted.

Port Commissioner David Haugen had been there and discovered many branches and limbs had come down during the storm. At least one picnic table bench was broken. The commissioners agreed repairs could be made when the weather permits, while also acknowledging a lot of debris needed to be tended to. Commissioners addressed whether weather might have undercut the riverbank before they had an extended discussion about the opening and closing of the campground.

The port’s campground is scheduled to open April 1, and because Sept. 15 falls on a Thursday, Port Manager Jeana Crosby suggested the port might keep the campground open through that weekend.

After further discussion about how September is a slower month for the port, commissioners decided the campground would close every year on the second Sunday of September.

For 2022, that means the campground will close Sept. 11 and all campers will need to be off the premises by 3 p.m. that day. The gates will be locked and signs will be raised with the campground’s closure information. Campers will also be reminded when they reserve a site for that weekend.

The cleanup date for the campground has been tentatively scheduled for March 26.

Crosby gave the commissioners a handout of Bonfire’s sales and service proposal for online reservations and payments, which was updated Dec. 1.

January marked the fourth month the port commissioners had considered whether to go online for registration, but Commission Chair Ray Mow said he’d like to see at least three other estimates before deciding.