Legislators touring Rainbow Falls State Park on Wednesday learned from officials there that the swath of timberland across the Chehalis River from state Route 6 sustained $6.5 million in damage during the December flood.
A downed bridge and adjacent footbridge will cost $1.8 million to repair, according to Paul Malmberg, southwest region manager for Washington State Parks. Officials said garnering permits and rebuilding the bridge will take at least a year.
Restrooms and the park managers home on the grounds took on a significant amount of silt, Malmberg said, and inmates from Cedar Creek Corrections Center were clearing mud on Wednesday.
Gov. Chris Gregoires husband, better known as First Mike, is scheduled to volunteer at the park with a group on Monday, Jan 21 during a Martin Luther King Jr. day of volunteerism led by AmeriCorps volunteers.
Those wanting to help clean up the park should meet at 9 a.m. Lunch will be provided at noon. The work involves debris removal and repairs to the campground, trails and picnic areas.
Since the bridges to the park have been washed out, the winding alternative route to the park involves driving west on state Route 6 past Rainbow Falls to Stevens Road in Doty.
Turn right on Stevens Road and drive to Elk Creek Road. Turn left on Elk Creek Road. Cross the second bridge (a narrow one) and turn right onto Chandler Road. Follow Chandler Road to the Doty Fire Hall. Just past the fire hall, turn left on Leudinghaus Road. After about S of a mile, turn right into the back gate of the park.
The Washington State Parks Commission hopes to attract 100 volunteers for the work day.
For more information and to RSVP, contact Debbie Schuffenhauer at Debbie.schuffenhauer@ofm.wa.gov or (360) 902-0669 by Jan. 17.
