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Construction activities for Camp Hope project may impact park use and access at Lewisville Regional Park in early July. 

A new water system must be installed at Camp Hope. It has been determined that for various reasons, the best way to get the new water tanks delivered to the project site will be to transport them via helicopter from Lewisville Regional Park.

Background
Clark County owns a 107-acre property across the East Fork Lewis River from Lewisville Regional Park in Battle Ground. The property is leased to Camp Hope of Southwest Washington, which offers day and overnight camps, facility rentals and community events. The property’s aging water system no longer meets drinking water requirements. Public Works is making necessary improvements to the water system this summer. The project includes replacing existing water storage tanks, updating piping and the water distribution system, and installing a sanitation system. 

Because of the site’s steep hills, thick vegetation and tree canopy, and unpaved roads, getting project materials to the site faces additional challenges. It has been determined that for various reasons, the best way to get the new water tanks delivered to the project site will be to transport them via helicopter from Lewisville Regional Park. 

Impacts to Lewisville Regional Park
The new water tanks and their concrete support structures will be delivered to Lewisville Regional Park, then transported via helicopter across the East Fork Lewis River and to the hillside project site at Camp Hope. During helicopter operations: 

• There will be a road closure in Lewisville Regional Park to limit vehicles near the work site. This may impact access to parking near some park amenities. 
• The helicopter must pick up six items from the park, one at a time (three tanks and three tank support structures). Each time the helicopter picks up one of these items, it must hover at a fairly low elevation for about 10 minutes to allow crews to attach the item to the helicopter’s harness system. This will generate a significant amount of noise in the park intermittently over the course of several hours. 
• A narrow area underneath the helicopter’s flight path must be cleared. This area of the park will be closed to visitors. 

Timeline and location
Helicopter operations are scheduled for July 3rd.  The main road, before the Grand Fir shelter and extending past Hemlock shelter, is closed all day. Sections of the park, including some trails, playgrounds, sports fields, shelters and more will be closed from noon to 3 p.m. When the work is complete, staff will remove signs and barriers and visitors can enter the area at that time. Visitors of the park are reminded not to enter areas closed with cones or barricades, or approach contractors as they work. Click here for the closure map.

Why there is uncertainty in the timeline, park impacts
Helicopter operations would be scheduled to occur on a weekday shortly after the tanks and other materials are delivered. We have asked the contractor not to schedule the helicopter operation to occur on a Saturday or Sunday, to minimize impacts to park users, especially those with picnic shelter reservations or park use permits for events. However, because the helicopter operator also supports regional wildfire response efforts, we may be required to conduct the operation on a weekend if wildfire response is impacting the operator’s schedule. The helicopter operation can also be canceled or delayed due to weather conditions such as wind or low cloud cover, in which case we may be forced to reschedule for a weekend day. 

What we’re doing to minimize impacts and inform the community
We have been communicating with neighbors about what to expect during the project. We will be updating this webpage with updates as we receive them. Signs are being posted at Lewisville Regional Park. We have contacted any parties with reservations on the most likely dates of operation (July 1-3) to let them know about potential impacts, and we have closed reservations for those dates. We are also issuing a news release so that information can be shared by local newspapers. 

Park patrons with reservations or event permits
Several weeks ago, we stopped accepting weekday reservations for picnic shelters at Lewisville Regional Park in the first few days of July, to minimize the potential for disruption from the helicopter operation on park users. We have contacted customers with existing reservations/event permits to let them know about the potential for impacts to the park on the date of their event. 

Once we have a confirmed date for the helicopter operations, we will contact any patrons with reservations or park use permits for that same date.  

Questions? 

• For questions about picnic shelter reservations and event permits at Lewisville Regional Park, please contact 564.397.2285 or parksreservations@clark.wa.gov.  
• For questions about the Camp Hope water system upgrade project, please contact Evelyn Ives at 564.397.5885 or evelyn.ives@clark.wa.gov. 

Lewisville Regional Park is Clark County’s oldest park and often considered its flagship park. The Works Progress Administration developed the 159-acre park during the Great Depression. The park was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986 and on the Clark County Heritage Register in 1987.

The park encompasses forests and meadows along the East Fork Lewis River, with a 2.8-mile trail meandering through the park. A small boat launch is located in the park’s northeast end where the park’s access road ends.

Outdoor activities abound including fishing, picnicking and horseshoes. There is one main baseball field and several play fields, playgrounds and restrooms throughout the park.

Facilities

• 13 shelters, ranging in seating capacity from 20 to 200
• 17 barbecue grills
• 147 picnic tables
• 20 horseshoe pits
• 5 baseball/softball backstops
• 1 basketball half court
• 15 sets of playground equipment
• Boat launch
• Fishing
• 2.79 miles of gravel/dirt path
• 26 drinking fountains
• 5 restrooms
• 307 parking spaces, plus 23 disabled parking stalls

Parking fees

Clark County Parks charges parking fees year-round at Lewisville Regional Park. Daily parking fees are:

• $2 for motorcycles
• $3 for cars
• $6 for cars with trailers
• $8 for buses or motor homes

These are parking fees, not entrance fees. There is no charge for people who walk or bicycle into Lewisville Regional Park.

During the busy season, parking fees are collected from a fee booth and a parking meter. When the fee booths are not staffed, park users need to use the parking meter.

Both fee booths and self-pay stations accept cash, coin, debit cards, Visa and Mastercard. They do not accept checks, Discover or American Express cards.

Frequent park users can save money by purchasing annual parking passes, which are valid at the four regional parks charging parking fees: Frenchman’s Bar Regional Park, Lewisville Regional Park, Salmon Creek Regional Park/Klineline Pond and Vancouver Lake Regional Park.

Annual parking passes cost $30. Go to the parking fees webpage for information on how to purchase annual parking passes or click here to purchase a parking pass online.

Under Clark County Code, parking a vehicle without paying the required daily fee or displaying a valid parking pass could result in a $40 fine.

Clark County Code, 9.05.260 Parking

Picnic shelters

Lewisville has 13 reservable shelters that can seat between 20 and 200 people. The cost is $50 to $150 a day, depending on the shelter’s size.

All shelters have 6- to 8-foot long tables, water spigots, electrical outlets and fire pits. Most shelters also have horseshoe pits and charcoal barbecue grills nearby. 

Note: The bridge to the Ponderosa, Maple, and Oak shelters and adjacent parking area is limited to vehicles weighing less than five tons. Vehicles such as buses and RVs may not cross the bridge to that area of the park. Guests with vehicles weighing five tons or more can park near the Alder, Birch, Cedar, and Dogwood shelters and walk to the Ponderosa, Maple, and Oak shelters.

• More information on Lewisville shelters (PDF)
• Map showing location of Lewisville shelters (PDF)

Other portions of the park may be available for weddings and other events on a case-by-case basis with an approved special use permit. Air-inflated “bounce houses” are allowed with approved special use permits, but dunk tanks are not.

Swimming

Swimming is allowed at Lewisville Regional Park, but there are no lifeguards on duty. The East Fork Lewis River can have swift currents, and water depths can vary. Park users swim at their own risk. Parents should be vigilant watching children near the water.

Hours

7 am to dusk

Related information

• Clark County park rules
• Report a maintenance concern