ROSS LAKE

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Ross Lake National Recreation Area Washington

Alternative G. Improve the Desolation Peak Boat-In Trailhead (Environmentally Preferred Alternative)

Description of Alternative G

The Desolation Peak trailhead is located on the eastern shoreline of Ross Lake at the foot of Desolation Peak (Figure 8). Access to the trailhead is via boat from Ross Lake or via trail from Lightning Creek. The trailhead lacks any improvements except for a simple wooden sign with distances to the Desolation Lookout and several other points. Unlike all other boat-in trailheads on Ross Lake, the trailhead lacks a toilet and a dock. The trailhead is difficult to see from the reservoir. The shoreline at the trailhead is exposed to wind and waves, and the lack of a dock prevents safe mooring of boats. Paddle craft such as canoes and sea kayaks can be pulled up the steep, rocky bank, but doing so in wind and waves is unsafe.

The exposure of the trailhead to dynamic wind and wave conditions on Ross Lake is a fundamental part of the problem. Calm conditions in the morning often give way to wind and waves in the afternoon. Boaters who are unaware of the rough afternoon winds may tie their boats to trees when the lake is calm, and return later in the day to find their vessels slamming against rocks. Those familiar with the rough conditions have been creatively mooring their boats along the shoreline near the trailhead, and this practice is accelerating erosion and disturbing native vegetation up and down the wave-swept bank. The rocky, unstable shoreline around the trailhead is also a safety concern for visitors disembarking from their boats, even when winds are relatively calm.

Under this management alternative, a cement and stone bulkhead would be constructed at the current trailhead to prevent further shoreline erosion. A 20-foot dock would be anchored to the bulkhead to provide mooring for two boats, and to provide for convenient removal of paddle craft from the water.

Figure 8. Improve the Desolation Peak boat-in trailhead.

Issues

• Visitor safety and aesthetics
• Engineering challenges: the trailhead is steep, rocky and exposed to prevailing winds. A creatively designed dock that is harmonious with the surrounding landscape would be needed.
• Cultural resource concerns: potential adverse effects to an archeological site determined eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

Environmentally Preferred Alternative

The environmentally preferred alternative is the alternative that causes the least damage to the biological and physical environment. It is the alternative which best protects, preserves, and enhances historic, cultural, and natural resources. Based on these criteria, the environmentally preferred alternative would be Alternative G. Improve the Desolation Peak Boat-In Trailhead. This management action would have the least impact on the environment because most actions would occur within the drawdown or seasonally inundated portion of Ross Lake reservoir. Actions that would occur outside this disturbed area would including stabilizing the shoreline to prevent erosion and focusing access to a single location. This management alternative would benefit park resources by reducing erosion and damage to vegetation; it would also enhance visitor safety.