Field Reports: Stretch of Centennial Trail reopens after asphalt project

A 14-mile section of the Spokane River Centennial Trail is back open after a resurfacing project was completed ahead of schedule.

Washington State Parks announced Friday that the easternmost 14 miles from the Washington/Idaho border to the Donkey Islands Trailhead in Millwood is open after receiving a fresh layer of asphalt.

Parks officials expect the asphalt will ensure a smooth walking, riding and running surface for 25 years.

Workers began resurfacing the trial in mid-April and had originally expected the work would last until September. Instead, the work got done quickly and the trail was opened Tuesday.

Contractors will still do some work in the coming days, but Washington State Parks said that won’t impact trail use.

The Spokane River Centennial Trail is a 40-mile path that runs from the Idaho border to Nine Mile Recreation Area.

Open house planned for Riverside State Park timber work

Forest thinning is on deck for the Seven Mile area of Riverside State Park, and officials are inviting the public to learn more about the plans.

Washington State Parks will hold an open house on Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the McLellan Trailhead to give people a chance to learn about the project, according to a news release.

Parks forestry staffers will be on hand to answer questions, and they’ll have maps showing the areas where the work is planned.

The project will cover 300 acres and is expected to take place between fall and spring 2025. It may require intermittent trail closures.

Crews will remove wildfire fuels and low vigor trees, according to the release, and they expect the work will help restore the forest.

Nighttime fish surveys planned for Lake Spokane

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife staffers will be spending nights on Lake Spokane this week surveying fish.

WDFW said in a Facebook post that people may see five lit-up boats on the lake this week between Nine Mile Recreation Area and Long Lake Dam.

Fish program staffers will be using gill nets and electrofishing to catch and sample fish.

Gillnets will be marked with buoys. Electrofishing will take place from just after sunset to 1 a.m.

The work is being done to monitor fish populations in the lake, and it follows similar surveys from 2001 and 2015.