Currents and Undercurrents: an Administrative History of Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DOCUMENT RESUME ED 476 001 SO 034 781 AUTHOR McKay, Kathryn L.; Renk, Nancy F. TITLE Currents and Undercurrents: An Administrative History of Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. INSTITUTION National Park Service (Dept. of Interior), Washington, DC. PUB DATE 2002-01-00 NOTE 589p. AVAILABLE FROM Lake Roosevelt Recreation Area, 1008 Crest Drive, Coulee Dam, WA 99116. Tel: 509-633-9441; Fax: 509-633-9332; Web site: http://www.nps.gov/ laro/adhi/adhi.htm. PUB TYPE Books (010) Historical Materials (060) Reports Descriptive (141) EDRS PRICE EDRS Price MF03/PC24 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS --- *Government Role; Higher Education; *Land Use; *Parks; Physical Geography; *Recreational Facilities; Rivers; Social Studies; United States History IDENTIFIERS Cultural Resources; Management Practices; National Park Service; Reservoirs ABSTRACT The 1,259-mile Columbia River flows out of Canada andacross eastern Washington state, forming the border between Washington andOregon. In 1941 the federal government dammed the Columbia River at the north endof Grand Coulee, creating a man-made reservoir named Lake Roosevelt that inundated homes, farms, and businesses, and disrupted the lives ofmany. Although Congress never enacted specific authorization to createa park, it passed generic legislation that gave the Park Service authorityat the National Recreation Area (NRA). Lake Roosevelt's shoreline totalsmore than 500 miles of cliffs and gentle slopes. The Lake Roosevelt NationalRecreation Area (LARO) was officially created in 1946. This historical study documents the long and complex story of the establishment of LARO and how it hasbeen managed since its creation. Following informational materials andan introduction, the study's chapters are: (1) "When Rivers Ran Free"; (2) "The River Becomes a Lake"; (3) "A Long Road Lies Ahead: Establishing Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area";(4) "Agreements and Disagreements: From Tri-Party Agreement to Multi-Party Agreement"; (6) "Family Vacation Lake: Recreation Planning and Management";(7) "Building and Maintaining the Park: Administrative and Visitor Facilities";(8) "Changing Stories: Interpretation"; (9) "From Simple to Complex: Cultural Resources Management"; (10) "An Uphill Struggle: Natural Resources Management";(11) "Regaining Ground: Leases and Special Use Permits"; and (12) "Echoes of thePast: Future Issues." Includes seven appendices and an extensive bibliography.(BT) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Currents and Undercurrents: An Administrative History of Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area *Mt Kathryn L. McKay and Nancy F. Renk U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) y This document has been reproduced as January 2002 received from the person or organization originating it. Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality. Points of view or opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent C._ official OERI position or policy. Currents and Undercurrents: An Administrative History of Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area, Washington January 2002 by Kathryn L. McKay and Nancy F. Renk 3 Cover photo: LARO ranger and Park Service boat near northern end of Lake Roosevelt, ca. 1972. Photo courtesy of National Park Service, Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area ("A Boater's Guide to Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake," draft ca. 1972, file K3819 Lake Roos. Boater's Guide, LARO.HQ.CIO). TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword Preface vii Abbreviations Used in Text xi Abbreviations Used in Endnotes xiii Introduction 1 Chapter 1 When Rivers Ran Free 9 Chapter 2 The River Becomes a Lake 27 Chapter 3 A Long Road Lies Ahead: Establishing Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area 47 Chapter 4 Agreements and Disagreements: From Tri-Party Agreement to Multi-Party Agreement 83 Chapter 5 Charting the Course: Managers and Management Issues 129 Chapter 6 Family Vacation Lake: Recreation Planning and Management 189 Chapter 7 Building and Maintaining the Park: Administrative and Visitor Facilities 245 Chapter 8 Changing Stories: Interpretation 305 Chapter 9 From Simple to Complex: Cultural Resources Management 359 Chapter 10 An Uphill Struggle: Natural Resources Management 409 iii 5 Chapter 11 Regaining Ground: Leases and Special Use Permits 445 Chapter 12 Echoes of the Past: Future Issues 489 Appendix A LARO Superintendents 493 Appendix B An act for the acquisition of Indian lands for the Grand Coulee Dam and Reservoir, and for other purposes (Act of June 29, 1940) 495 Appendix C Memorandum of Agreement Among the Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, and Office of Indian Affairs Relating to the Planning, Development, and Administration of the Coulee Dam Recreational Area (December 18, 1946) 499 Appendix D Public Land Order 2087 (May 9, 1960) 509 Appendix E Lake Roosevelt Cooperative Management Agreement (April 5, 1990) 511 Appendix F Edward G. Torrison and Marlene J. Torrison, Husband and Wife, Plaintiffs, v. Vaughn L. Baker, et al., Defendants (September 27, 2000) 527 Appendix G Visitor Statistics 541 Annotated Bibliography 543 Index 579 6 iv United States Department of the Interior NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area 1008 Crest Drive IN REPLY REFER TO: Coulee Dam, Washington 99116 FOREWORD This administrative history is one of a series being done throughout the National Park System.It adds to our knowledge and understanding of Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area and how it came to be. The study chronicles the establishment of the recreation area from its roots in the Grand Coulee Dam project to the present. It traces how the area has been managed and operated over time by the National Park Service.It also portrays various issues that have been associated with the recreation area since its establishment in 1946. While administrative histories are of interest to a wide range of individuals, they are particularly useful for Park Service staff to help them better understand why the area looks and operates the way it does due to decisions made and policies implemented over the years by their predecessors.It provides a context for making management decisions on issues, some of which have been present for decades. This document was prepared for the National Park Service under contract with Tracks of the Past and Flume Creek Historical Services, consulting firms based in Columbia Falls, Montana, and Sandpoint, Idaho, respectively.The primary authors are Kathryn L. McKay and Nancy F. Renk. Through the use of outside parties to produce these studies, the National Park Service hopes to provide an independent review of the events and circumstances that have shaped this unit of the National Park System. As such, the views expressed are those of the authors based on their research and contacts with numerous individuals having knowledge about various aspects of the National Recreation Area. This history of Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area is a "living" one. As additional information comes to light about the events described in this document and as subsequent events occur relevant to the unit's administration, revisions of this document will be made as appropriate. Vaughn L. Baker Superintendent Preface Many, many people helped us with this project. First and foremost, we would like to thank the current and recent employees of Lake Roosevelt National Recreation Area. We understand why the park has a reputation for friendly staff and a good work environment! Those who were particularly helpful included Vaughn Baker, Sherry Dotson, Dan Hand, Lynne Brougher, Roberta Miller, Ray Dashiell, Linda Morgan, Dan Mason, Scott Hebner, Karen Taylor-Goodrich, Marty Huseman, Ray DePuydt, and Gina Arnold. Past employees and their spouses who agreed to interviews included Gerry Tays, Dan Brown, Don and Connie Everts, Bill and Doris Schieber, Gary Kuiper, Tom Teaford, and Sis Robinson. We greatly enjoyed talking with and learning from each of these people. We also appreciate their useful comments on drafts of this report and their patience with follow-up inquiries. Librarians, archivists, and museum employees throughout the Pacific Northwest provided tremendous assistance to us as we searched for documents and other materials related to the history of the Lake Roosevelt area and the National Park Service. These include: Pat Witham of the Grant County Historical Museum; Tim Brooks and Cheryl Grunlose of the Colville Tribal Museum; Gary Schmauder of Lincoln County Historical Museum; the National Archives branches in San Bruno, California (and we'd like also like to thank our research assistant Marcia Plancon for the many linear feet of photocopies she sent us from San Bruno); Joyce Justice at the National Archives branch at Seattle, Washington; Frank Sciamanda of Washington State University's Holland Library, Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections; Washington State Archives in Tacoma; Gary Lundell at University of Washington, Manuscripts and University Archives; Bonneville Power Administration Library in Portland, Oregon; David Hastings at the Washington State Archives in Olympia; Grant County Archives in Ephrata; Grand Coulee Library in Grand Coulee; Flathead County Library in Kalispell, Montana; Washington State Archives, Central Regional Branch, Ellensburg; Nancy Compau at the Northwest Room, Spokane Public Library; Shirley Dodson at the Stevens County Historical Society; Karen Deseve of the Eastern Washington State Historical Society Research