Rafting outfitters say big flow a bane, boon
Journal of Business
By Emily Proffitt
June 26, 2008
Subtitle: High water delayed start of season, but will extend trips later into summer
Rafting outfitters here say that although the unusually high water in the Spokane River this spring sank the beginning of their seasons, the prolonged runoff will keep them afloat further into the summer’s peak tourism months.
Outfitters say rafting season on the Spokane River fluctuates greatly depending on the pattern of the river’s spring and summer flows, but typically they offer float trips from early May to early July. This year, the flooding kept them from starting trips until earlier this month, but the high water levels likely will allow them to run the river into early August.
“The fluctuation of water levels has a definite impact on us,” says Kyle Brock, who owns Post Falls-based Wiley E. Waters LLC, which has offered trips on the Spokane River for 16 years. “We’re getting a later start than we normally do, but this is still a spectacular water year.”
While outfitters are optimistic about the season, they’re hoping that potential customers don’t decide against river rides because of safety concerns related to the recent flooding.
“Some people we talk to say, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe your rafting” says David Lawrence, owner of Superior, Mont.-based Pangaea River Rafting LLC, which has offered trips on the Spokane River for four years. “We’re constantly fighting a negative image, even though the Spokane River is family-friendly whitewater.”
Spokane County closed the river for a time this spring because of safety concerns. Outfitters here also have their own water-level benchmarks to decide the maximum amount of river’s flow at which they will conduct trips. Those standards range from 15,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) to 27,000 cfs. In comparison, the Spokane River crested 40,000 cfs at its peak last month and recently was at about 21,000, the US Geological Survey’s web site says.
Despite the late start, Lawrence says he expects his company will have record passenger levels on the Spokane River this summer. Pangaea took 900 people down the Spokane last year, and is looking to double that number this year, he says.
Wiley E. Waters took about 400 people on trips last year and is expecting to at least sustain that level this year, Brock says. In mid-June last year, only about a week of whitewater rafting opportunities remained, due to the lower-than-normal snowpack in the mountains, he says.
“We’re going to be able to experience great floats all summer long this year,” Brock says.
Paul Delaney, co-owner of Spokane Valley-based River City River Runners, which was founded about 2 years ago, says the high water this year forced that company to cancel a number of trips this month and last month. He calls the high water level a “double-edged sword,” though, because it will allow him to run trips into the prime tourism portion of the summer.
“Last year at this time we were telling people we couldn’t take them because there wasn’t enough water,” Delaney says. “That’s what’s unique and compelling about trying to make it work on this stretch of water. The season is so short because of how fickle water conditions can be.”
Jon Wilmont, owner of Spokane-based Flow Adventures, which launch three years ago, says that the closure of the river last month hurt business, but the company is “looking at great water through July and August.” Flow Adventures had a total of 225 passengers last year and is expecting to have 300 this year, Wilmot says.
Lawrence says that in addition to favorable water levels, the growing number of tourists visiting the Spokane area also will keep business streaming in for outfitters this summer.