Puget Sound Energy is planning a major update to Snoqualmie Falls Park that will focus on education and interpretation, but the work will force closures of the popular tourist site beginning in September.
PSE does not have the dates set for when the park will be closed. When a construction contractor is selected for the project, the schedule for the work will determine the times when the park will be closed, said PSE spokesman Roger Thompson.
“For people who want to come out and see the majesty of the falls without heavy equipment on site, now is the time to do it,” Thompson said. “There’s going to be a lot of activity out here, but once it’s all done, this is going to be a much more appealing place.”
The upper park, with its sweeping views of Snoqualmie Falls, is anticipated to close for more than a month after Labor Day, according to Tony Fuchs, a consulting scientist with PSE.
PSE plans to take out the existing picnic shelter to create a new entry for the park. Other improvements include installing new railing and updating the park ramps to be compliant with updated ADA regulations.
Fuchs said that visitors to the park after its update would notice more information kiosks. PSE wants the park to tell the story of the 111-year-old hydroelectric power plant. The interpretation and educational features will highlight the historic and cultural significance of the falls, hydroelectricity, and the environment. A small amphitheater will also be built near the backside of the gift shop.
The upper section of the park and waterfall observation areas will reopen to the public after work is complete, and the focus of the project will shift to other areas. PSE hopes that by beginning its improvement projects at the upper park, the overall impact to visitors will be limited.
Plans are in the works to extend and improve the trail that goes from the upper part of the park to below the falls, but first a number of improvements to PSE’s facilities and infrastructure below the dam must take place. This work will take several years, and is the reason for the closure of the trail and lower-park.
Fuchs said the improvements to the trail are designed to keep people from making their own paths, and to separate park visitors from PSE operations below the falls.
The trail will be closed during this work, which is expected to take several years. Public access to the trail could be restricted until 2013. Improvements to the lower section of the park will also include a new parking lot, restrooms, and river access for canoes and kayaks.
More work is planned for other PSE facilities at the falls. The machine shop and carpentry building across the river from the Salish will be torn down and moved into a new facility. PSE plans to display one of the original generators at a building for historic exhibits near their new facility. The history component will showcase one-of-a-kind artifacts taken from the old machine and carpentry shops.
Thompson said that PSE’s archaeologist has documented items from the old buildings to help preserve the history of the site.
Discussions are also underway with the Northwest Railway museum to allow for train excursions to stop at the PSE historic exhibit.
PSE plans to create a Web site soon to inform the public about closures at the park. They also plan on hosting an open house in late July to discuss the project with the public, but a date for this meeting has not been set.
Reach reporter Michael Bayless Rowe at [email protected] or 392-6434, ext. 248. To comment on this story, go to www.snovalleystar.com.
Filed Under Local News