TD dock closed for tribal fishing

“We tried to accommodate the fishing right and the cruise ships last year but there were problems with the nets,” he said. “So, now we just let cruise lines know this is something that can happen.”

The registered fishing right to waters around the commercial dock at the foot of Union Street was discovered by a member of the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation in 2014.

Young said an elderly tribal member hadn’t used the right for years but a younger family member decided to exercise it. She raised the issue of fishing for fall Chinook salmon with tribal leaders, who let the city know that an adjustment to the cruise ship schedule needed to be made.

“Fishing is part of her livelihood,” said Young.

During the time that the tribal woman is fishing for fall Chinook salmon, the Queen of the West and American Empress, both larger ships, will dock in another location, such as Klickitat County.

The Legacy, a smaller vessel, will tie up at the marina in The Dalles to offload travelers.

Last year, Julie Krueger, general services director, said the three companies were very willing to work with the city to come up with alternate plans that still brought business to The Dalles.

Young said in 2014 that if it had been known that the treaty fishing right existed when the dock was planned, it might have made it more complicated to work out tribal agreements.

In 2011, the city signed an agreement with the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs to provide $100,000 for an ice machine in return for construction to begin on the commercial and recreational docks.

The Warm Springs requested the machine to mitigate the negative fishing effects of having two docks built within a treaty fishing area on the Columbia River.

In 2010, the city agreed to alleviate the Yakama’s concerns about the docks by shortening their length from 200 feet to about 60 feet each. In addition, officials granted a Yakama request that two nets be kept in storage should a tribal net be destroyed as a result of activity associated with new construction.

The Yakama were also allowed to tie fishing nets to the west end of the marine terminal.

During fishing seasons, the city agreed to post signs warning boaters and dock users that gill netting was taking place and to make sure buoys were in the water to help boats avoid the nets.