No justification for non-motorized river

The Whitefish City Council built support for their non-motorized proposal for the Whitefish River based on exaggerated claims that there was considerable motorboat use and that much of it violated the no-wake rules and caused safety concerns and stream bank erosion. 

Now that they have not been able to convince the Fish, Wildlife and Parks on those reasons, they are now pushing it on the basis of local social desires.

My home fronts on the Whitefish River downstream of the Columbia Street bridge. We have lived there over five years and have yet to see a single violation of the no-wake rules. We view the river daily and probably see less than five motorboats per month. These are all small boats limited to the spring-summer season when the water level is high enough to float. They are usually early morning fishermen that are off the river before the recreational floaters show up.

Part of the appeal and value of our property is that we can occasionally motor my small watercraft slowly upstream all the way to Whitefish Lake. Under the proposed change, that would no longer be possible. An electric motor does not have enough power to push my canoe through the fast water under the Spokane Street bridge. So those who think allowing electric motors will appease the motorized users, need to consider this fact.

There is no justification to make any changes to the public uses allowed on the Whitefish River.  There is still plenty of room for all existing uses to continue as they are. Throughout its entire length, the Whitefish River is a public waterway that belongs to all the people of Montana.   

I hope this information is helpful to you and that you let the FWP hear your voice during the upcoming public response period.

— Brian Woodward