Avista plans to rebuild approximately 10 miles of its 230-kilovolt transmission line, some of which is located on Craig Mountain Wildlife Management Area near the Salmon River. To allow for heavy equipment access, Avista plans to conduct road repairs to Eagle Creek Road between China Creek and Wapshilla Creek prior to the transmission line work. The road repairs are scheduled to begin in late September 2020, and will take 1-2 weeks to complete. The transmission line work will begin after road repairs are completed, with an anticipated work window of October 2020 through November 2020. Winter weather restricts access to the line, so late-fall is the only time of the year for this maintenance work to occur. The main body of transmission work will be near the Hermit Springs Cabin, highlighted on the map below. Recreationists can expect increased traffic and activity on Eagle Creek Road. During the road repairs, Eagle Creek Road will be temporarily closed for one week between Eagle Creek and Wapshilla Creek. Transmission line work will involve large equipment accessing Avista’s right-of-way, excavating new pole holes, replacing existing poles and anchors, and stringing new wires. Due to the remote location of the transmission line, helicopters will likely be employed during this work. While this area is not going to be closed to the public during this work, sportsmen should use caution and plan appropriately. Contact the Clearwater Regional office for more information (208) 799-5010.
