Coeur d'Alene Field Office
| Contacts: | Kurt Pindel | , 208-769-5015 |
Blackwell Island Boat Launch to Close for Season
Coeur d’Alene, ID – Autumn has settled into northern Idaho, bringing with it the end of the summer boating season on Lake Coeur d’Alene. This Sunday, October 16, will be the final day that the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Blackwell Island boat launch will be open for public use. The popular launch site, located on the south side of the Spokane River, has been in operation for nine seasons and each summer attracts more and more boaters.
Blackwell Island recreation area will also be closed to day-use activities after Sunday. The main gate will be closed for the season and toilet facilities winterized. The site is a popular area for walking, picnicking and wildlife viewing during the summer season. Blackwell Island typically opens in late May dependent upon lake water levels.
Daily parking fees, established in 2006, are $4.00 per vehicle with season parking passes available for $30. The BLM is considering an increase to the rates and will work this winter with their Recreation Fee Resource Advisory Council (RAC) to determine the 2012 fee schedule.
Blackwell Island opened in 2003, providing close-in boating access to Coeur d’Alene Lake and the Spokane River. Boating facilities include four launch lanes, 130 vehicle-with-trailer parking spaces, 34 single vehicle parking spaces and 520 linear feet of boarding and short term moorage dock. Additional amenities include a group picnic shelter available for rent, individual picnic units and an elevated boardwalk trail with wildlife viewing decks.
For further information, please contact Kurt Pindel, Outdoor Recreation Planner at (208) 769-5015.
The BLM manages more than 245 million acres of public land, the most of any Federal agency. This land, known as the National System of Public Lands, is primarily located in 12 Western states, including Alaska. The BLM also administers 700 million acres of sub-surface mineral estate throughout the nation. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2011, recreational and other activities on BLM-managed land contributed more than $130 billion to the U.S. economy and supported more than 600,000 American jobs. The Bureau is also one of a handful of agencies that collects more revenue than it spends. In FY 2012, nearly $5.7 billion will be generated on lands managed by the BLM, which operates on a $1.1 billion budget. The BLM's multiple-use mission is to sustain the health and productivity of the public lands for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. The Bureau accomplishes this by managing such activities as outdoor recreation, livestock grazing, mineral development, and energy production, and by conserving natural, historical, cultural, and other resources on public lands.