City lifts emergency restrictions on Spokane River use

Submerged portions of Centennial Trail remain closed

Brian Coddington, Communications Director, 625.6740

Thursday, April 6, 2017 at 12:28 p.m.

With the Spokane River now below official flood stage, the emergency declaration closing public access to the river within the City of Spokane has been lifted, although city official continue to urge people to stay out of the river while flows remain high.

Spokane Fire Department officials stress that citizens should continue to use great caution around the river, which is running very fast and very cold. The Parks Department, meanwhile, reports that some portions of the Centennial Trail on Upriver Drive are still submerged and remain closed. The City did reopen Upriver Drive this week, which was the last closed section of street because of flooding.

Flows in the Spokane River dropped below the official flood stage of 27 feet at Monroe Street yesterday, according to the gage maintained there by the U.S. Geological Survey. The river is running is still running high at about 30,000 cubic feet per second (cfs); the river peaked at nearly 43,000 cfs on March 21.

Fire officials repeat the following safety messages:

  • Don’t allow children to play in the river. Moving water six inches deep can knock an adult off their feet, and the swift current can move a person downstream quickly. Cold water temperatures also can cause hypothermia.
  • Stay out of any barricaded areas. Remember all portions of the Centennial Trail along Upriver Drive that are under water are closed.
  • Be aware of the large debris in the river. Higher water levels can push logs and other large debris into the river, increasing the danger to people.

Call 9-1-1 immediately if you have an emergency along the river! With these conditions, problems can develop rapidly. Don’t wait to make that emergency call.