Sunday. Sunday. Sunday! The day has almost arrived for Spokane’s first ever on-the-water protest. Here’s a little reminder about the event, some recent media coverage to get you excited and a little FAQ to help sort out some details. See you all for Sunday Funday on the beautiful Spokane River!
On behalf of Spokane Riverkeeper, the Lands Council, Spokane Canoe and Kayak Club, Futurewise, Trout Unlimited, Northwest Whitewater Association and Gonzaga University Environmental Law Clinic, I’d like to extend a reminder and strong recommendation to join us THIS SUNDAY for the NO DOCKS AT THE ROCK – Spokane River Rally. Need more convincing? Take a look at the screenshot below that shows what Sunday’s weather will be like.
Now that I have you hooked, please use the below information as means to introduce you to this event, reorient you, or just plain get you excited for what we hope turns in to a very memorable afternoon.
In case you haven’t seen these, here are a handful of recent stories, posts, broadcasts, etc talking about the protest on Sunday the issue that sparked it.
Spokane Riverkeper blog post setting up the event.
Spokesman-Review piece by Rich Landers – “Board will hear challenge to Coyote Rock development”
Steve Jackson’s piece and interview with me on KPBX Spokane Public Radio.
A post by The Spovangelist – “Rock the Boat: Dock the Dock”
Post on the Spokane River Forum website – “No Docks at the Rock River Rally”
Small blurb in The Inlander by Daniel Walters – “What’s Up, Docks?”
As a reminder, here are the details that you’ll need to know:
“NO DOCKS AT THE ROCK: Spokane River Rally”, an on-the-water protest / rally / demonstration to show opposition to Coyote Rock Development’s plans to install up to 30 homeowner docks along the Spokane River. The rally will take place Sunday, August 21stfrom noon to 2:00 p.m. Put in will be at Plante’s Ferry. You can RSVP and see more details on the Facebook event page.
A few questions have popped up recently, so use this FAQ to help answer any you may have. If you need more help, feel free to email me at bart@cforjustice.org or call at 835-5211. You can also reach me on the day of the event on my cell at 951-8750.
FAQ:
Where is Plantes Ferry?
Plantes Ferry is located off of Upriver Drive. Use the big Arbor Crest Winery / mansion as a landmark – Plantes Ferry is down the hill from that. Here’s the Google places page w/ map and directions - http://bit.ly/p6epbj. Plantes Ferry is a big sports complex with a big parking lot. We will meet here at Noon. However, the boat put in isn’t in this parking lot, but about 50 yards West of the complex (there is a pullout spot off of Upriver Drive). The best thing to do is to meet at Noon in the big parking lot, then we can coordinate putting the boats in the water.
How long is the float from Plantes Ferry to where the rally will be at Coyote Rocks?
The float down from Plantes Ferry to the Coyote Rock docks site is about 15 minutes long. It’s very flat and calm there. The plan is to get down to the rally site, set up shop and have fun in the water.
Where do we take out our boats?
While not an official take-out spot (yet) it’s possible to pull boats from the water near the Centennial Trail footbridge (which is right by the site where the docks are) and there is a nice big parking lot there as well. Since I think we’ll have enough people there, I think it’s safe to assume pulling boats of all kinds from the water there near Coyote Rock won’t be an issue.
What if we want to float longer?
There are a group of people who are paddling further down river to Boulder Beach. You can join them if you’d like. This will take about one hour, again, very flat and calm water. Or if you’d like to extend your trip on the front end you could always put in at Harvard Rd (Liberty Lake), Barker Rd or Sullivan. But officially we will be meeting at 12 Noon at Plantes Ferry and putting in the water sometime soon thereafter that time.
What if I don’t have a boat?
No worries! We encourage you to come join us. People will be standing on the Centennial Trail footbridge, on the banks and on the beaches in that area. It’s going to be a beautiful and hot day. In addition, the Riverkeeper raft will have a few spots available and we’ve heard that a few other rafts will be there with open spots. Basically what we’re saying is show up at Noon with comfy and sturdy shoes (no flip flops), clothes you want to get wet in and be ready to have fun!
Is this really a protest?
Yes, it is! We will have poster board and markers for you to make signs. The media will be there, both television and print. We want to have a good showing and make this a very fun event. With your help, we want to send a message to all of Spokane County that the citizens of Spokane are serious about ecologically responsible recreation and development. This isn’t just about Docks at Coyote Rocks, this is about the River now and for the future. If you want to make your own signs, consider these phrases to get you started:
“No Docks”
“Protect Redband Trout”
“Protect our shoreline”
“Responsible Shoreline Development”
“This is not a waterskiing area”
“Non-motorized recreation ONLY”
“No Docks! No Docks!”
Is this going to be fun?
YES! See you on Sunday
