JACKSON HOLE, WYO – The West Table boat ramp will close for critical repairs beginning September 5, according to the Jackson Ranger District of the Bridger-Teton National Forest. The ramp will not reopen until May 2018.
Snake River users will be able to utilize the East Table and Elbow boat ramps, just upstream of the West Table ramp. The West Table to Sheep Gulch run is a renowned 8-mile Wild and Scenic class III run on the National Forest. The East Table access area is lesser known and not built to accommodate trailer and bus use. It is less than a half-mile upstream from the traditional put in.
“We are temporarily reworking the East Table boat ramp to make it even more suitable for trailers and larger vehicles,” said river manager David Cernicek. “While it is a smaller ramp, we think between East Table and the Elbow ramp, we can work out a temporary solution while repairs get underway downstream.”
Cernicek emphasized the limited window in which construction on the boat ramp facilities can occur. “We purposefully waited until after Labor Day, but must begin the repairs while the weather, and lower water levels are favorable,” he said. “There is never a good time to close a boat ramp on a popular stretch of river, but we do appreciate everyone’s cooperation and understanding as we work to get these much needed repairs underway. This is a huge impact on the public, both fishing and whitewater outfitters, and the One Fly. Each weeks’ delay increases prices sixty to one hundred thousand dollars.”
The West Table boat ramp repairs consist of reinforcing and lengthening the ramps.
“They have sustained significant damage from past high water events,” Cernicek said. Contributions toward the construction project have come in from Dave Hansen Whitewater, Snake River Park, Lewis and Clark, Barker Ewing, Jackson Hole Whitewater, Sands Whitewater, Mad River, The Grand Teton Association, Wyoming Game and Fish, Snake River Fund, Teton Conservation District and Jackson Hole One Fly.
