Human Inhabitants Return To Holden Village To Establish Winter Caretaking

After sitting completely empty for the first time in over six decades for about a week following two separate evacuations last month, the community of Holden Village is again flickering with a modicum of human activity.

On Thursday, Jan 1., five staff members of the Village returned to the tiny community about ten miles off the western shores of Lake Chelan to establish a team of winter caretakers at the historic site.

The quintet, who was flown in via helicopter, is the first of several teams that are scheduled to re-establish in Holden in the weeks ahead as part of its "Safe Return to Village" plan, which has been developed on an emergency basis by its executive directors and board of directors, along with the town's operations, risk, and safety managers.

The team will ultimately be fully comprised of 10 to 15 people who will all work in rotations to make supply trips for the Village and provide relief crews as needed.

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A news release from Holden Village issued over the weekend indicates that the initial team has discovered no damage to the townsite and is now focusing on working with Village managers regarding the mitigation of risks the caretaker team will be facing this winter, including revised communication standards; health screenings; emergency medical protocols; and helicopter supply schedules.

The 130-year-old settlement evacuated 42 of its 53 staff members on Dec. 13, after a strong storm caused heavy damage to areas in and around the Village, including the only road (FS-8301) which connects to the town from the boat dock at Lucerne, 10 miles to the east, which is the only road leading to the town.

Four days later, on Dec. 17, a second storm downed trees in the Copper Creek Valley, including one that fell on the primary penstock which delivers water from a diversion dam that generates hydroelectric power for the town, forcing it to sustain on backup generators for several days.

After attempts to make the necessary repairs at the dam were unsuccessful, the remaining 11 inhabitants in Holden had to be evacuated due to safety concerns, leaving the Village completely dark for the first time since the 1960s.

Although a handful of staffers have now returned to the town - with more on the way, Village managers are reminding the public that Holden is currently off limits to any unauthorized visitors and any unsanctioned presence there places individuals at great risk.

Sgt. Jason Reinfeld with the Chelan County Sheriff's Office tells KPQ that although there are no official orders currently in effect which make it illegal for the public to be in the general vicinity of Holden, the town itself - along with the nearby Rio Tinto mine, are both private property, and violators could be formally trespassed.

Landslides and avalanches remain primary concerns for the area surrounding the Village in the wake of last month's storms, which have reportedly altered the traditional baselines for the risk of such activity and will require more time to be fully evaluated.

Holden's news release says representatives from the U.S. Forest Service will be providing an initial assessment and timelines for road repairs on FS-8301 to Village leadership later this month, and there is hope that the historic community will again be ready to welcome visitors at some point in the near future.

Even as the spark of human inhabitation returns to the tiny town to open the new year, Holden and the few who are now there once again are in crosshairs of a major winter storm which could dump as much as four feet of snow on the Village by late Thursday.