Stehekin storm damaged road repairs have changed, again

Stehekin River bank stablization, Company Creek Road rebuilding. May 2. Photo courtesy: Chelan County.

Work continues on rebuilding portions of the northwest Lake Chelan community of Stehekin, devastated by winter storms.

The Stehekin River carved a new path during a rain and wind event in December 2025, washing away segments of Company Creek Road, a critical access road for local residents. Road rebuilding has been a contentious topic, and Monday it was reported that construction plans have changed.

"There was a challenge, apparently, with the elevation of that road and it may not be as high as they had hoped," said Chelan County Natural Resources Director Mike Kaputa to the county commissioners. "It does seem to me, in my opinion, if the road has been built at a lower level than even what they were aiming for, they were aiming for a two-year road, flood event. If it's even lower than a two-year, then it's (new Company Creek Road) not been stabilized in a way that would prevent channel migration from taking out the road."

"There's nothing protecting that road," exclaimed Kaputa. "I'm curious as to what the next steps even are. What's this commitment that they (National Park Service) made for a permanent fix, and what's the time frame?"

The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers plans to demobilize their work June 12.

The Governor’s office has shown interest in visiting the site, but the extent of future state and federal assistance remains unclear.