Keller Ferry

The Keller Ferry or Clark Ferry, is a ferry crossing on Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake in the US state of Washington (state), Washington. The crossing carries State Route 21 (Washington), State Route 21 between the Colville Indian Reservation in Ferry County, Washington, Ferry County and Clark, Washington, Clark in Lincoln County, Washington, Lincoln County. The ferry has been in operation since the 1890s and under state control since 1930. During that time, five vessels have served the crossing, including the ''Martha S.'', which operated from 1948 to 2013, and the current ferry, the M/V ''Sanpoil''.

The M/V ''Sanpoil'' is the only Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) owned and operated ferry in Eastern Washington; the others are on Puget Sound in Western Washington. This was the first ferry crossing operated by the state of Washington; Washington State Ferries did not begin operations on Puget Sound until 1951. The other fare-free public ferry in Eastern Washington, the Gifford–Inchelium ferry, is operated by the Colville Confederated Tribes.

Hours of operation are 6:00 a.m. to Midnight 7 days per week. The fare to ride is free.

Vessels

''Keller'', ''L. A. McLeod'' & ''San Poil''

Before the construction of the Grand Coulee Dam, the ''Keller'', a cable ferry, served the crossing, at the confluence of the Columbia River and the Sanpoil River. The ''Keller'' had an on-board motor to winch the boat across the river.

The ''L. A. McLeod'', a Diesel powered side-wheel steamer, side-wheeler, served the crossing from 1939 to 1944, a period which saw the completion of the Grand Coulee Dam and the formation of Franklin D. Roosevelt Lake, Lake Roosevelt.

Between 1944 and 1948, the route was served by a barge called the ''San Poil'', which was pushed by a tugboat, the ''Ann of Wilbur''.

Martha S.

Launched in 1948, the ''Martha S.'', was powered by two diesel engines making total 470 horsepower, and was 80 feet in length and 30 feet in beam. Its maximum capacity was 12 cars, or a single tractor-trailer truck alone, but it was unable to accommodate highway legal double tractor-trailer trucks. The ferry was in service from its launch until its retirement on Sunday, July 7, 2013. The vessel was named in honor of Martha Shain, the wife of State Highway Director Clarence Shain at the time it was put in service.

M/V ''Sanpoil''

The current Keller ferry, the M/V ''Sanpoil'', is 116 feet in length, and is designed to carry 20 passenger vehicles, two single tractor-trailer trucks and 9 passenger vehicles, or a double tractor-trailer truck and 8 passenger vehicles. It was christened, received a tribal blessing, and began service on August 14, 2013, after the ''Martha S.'' docks were refit to handle the larger replacement vessel. The name "Sanpoil" is an Anglicized version of the name of the native peoples of the surrounding area, and is the name of the river adjacent SR 21 to the north of the ferry.

The project to acquire a replacement ferry for the ''Martha S.'' was funded by the Washington State Legislature during the 2011 session. The Colville Confederated Tribes contributed $2 million of the approximately $12 million cost of the new vessel. On November 16, 2011, WSDOT awarded a contract for construction of the replacement vessel with delivery slated for May 2013. Justification for replacing the ''Martha S.'' included replacement parts for it no longer being commercially manufactured, requiring them to be custom-made as needed. The M/V ''Sanpoil'' was shipped overland via truck from Rainier, Oregon in March, 2013.

See also

* Ferries in Washington State
* Washington State Ferries

References

External links

Keller Ferry replacement website

{{Crossings navbox
, structure = List of crossings of the Columbia River, Crossings
, place = Columbia River
, bridge = Keller Ferry
, bridge signs =
, upstream = Gifford–Inchelium Ferry
, upstream signs =
, downstream = Grand Coulee Dam
, downstream signs =

Crossings of the Columbia River
Washington State Ferries vessels
Transportation in Ferry County, Washington
Transportation in Lincoln County, Washington
1890s establishments in Washington (state)