Work on the public boat launch at Pleasant Harbor near Brinnon on Hood Canal has been delayed by the recent rains. That means the ramp will now be closed Sept. 8-12 while the state Department of Fish and Wildlife completes an improvement project at the site.

The launch was to close earlier in September, but recent heavy rains made the ground too wet to work, said Penny Warren, regional lands supervisor for the department, in a news release.

The launch will be closed from 12:01 a.m. Sept. 8 to 11:59 p.m. Sept. 12.

Funded through a grant from the state Recreation Conservation Office, the new amenities at the popular launch include a double boat ramp, a float, restroom, an asphalt road and paved parking. Fish and Wildlife also widened the road to the site and installed new water retention ponds and lighting, the release said. Work crews will finish the road and parking lot during the closures in September.

The release recommended two nearby alternative launch sites while Pleasant Harbor is under construction. The sites are at Trident Cove State Park, about five miles south of Pleasant Harbor, and the Quilcene launch site, about 15 miles north at the end of Ling Longer Road.

The News Tribune