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37 Ellensburg’s Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park Qualified for fishing rafts and drift boats with frames as a result of water release § Cle Elum River from below the dam to the confluence with the Yakima River Generally safe for all users § Yakima River from WDFW’s King Horn Slough – Hundley Road to P&RC’s Bullfrog Road South access § Proposed Old Church Camp to WDFW’s SR-10 Takeout above the Ellensburg Water Company Diversion Dam § Proposed Kittitas County’s Thrall Road/Wilson Creek access site to Roza Campground Emergency response capabilities The Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office balances education, rescue, and enforcement on the water with other law enforcement and emergency management responsibilities. The Sheriff's Office currently has 15 deputies cross-trained as Marine Patrol Officers and Boat Operators including 8 who are also cross-trained in Swift-Water Rescue. Deputies specialize in responding to all incidents involving moving water such as rafters caught in logjams, spillways, and siphons. Four Deputies are trained In Public Safety Diving to recover the bodies of drowning victims, investigate water related deaths, and to recover vehicles, stolen property, and other items beneath the surface. The Sheriff's Office has 4 boats specifically designed to meet the demands of emergency responses on the Yakima River including: § 20-foot class I patrol boat - used for Patrol and Rescue on the Columbia River and the larger lakes in the upper county. § 18-foot rescue jet boat - used for patrol and rescue as well as diving operations on the small lakes and rivers. § 18-foot flat bottom jet sled with an outboard jet - used primarily on the Yakima River for rescues. § 12-foot inflatable jet boat - staged in the upper county for rescue on the smaller lakes, ponds, and sections of river in the upper county where the larger boat cannot operate. The Sheriff’s Office partners with other local fire services to expand water rescue by creating technical rope rescue teams and shoreline support teams that reduce response times and increase rescuer safety. On major holidays, the Sheriff provides a multi-agency enforcement presence on the water with the Grant County Sheriff's office and the US Coast Guard strictly enforcing laws relating to safety, such as negligent operation, boating under the Influence, and not having required safety equipment such as ski flags and lifejackets. Note - an approved lifejacket is required for all persons on board any vessel designed to transport persons on the water. Children under the age of 12 are required to have the lifejacket on. This includes all boats and rafts with rowing frames or motors, or pontoon boats and canoes. The Sheriff's Office Marine Patrol Unit conducts pre-season vessel inspections, equipment safety inspections, and classes on boating safety. The Sheriff’s Office has maintained an approved Boating Safety Program for over 40 years providing annual education programs on water related recreation. The education programs cover boating safety, swimming safety, and the laws relating to ecology and human impact. The Sheriff also partners with WDFW Officers to address increased impacts on the Yakima River’s aquatic marine life. Existing and proposed emergency launch sites The following existing and proposed launch sites will provide the Sheriff’s Office effective and quick response to on-water emergencies on the Yakima and Cle Elum Rivers: