Kayakers, cattlemen battle over river fences

Carie Saunders of Palouse had to duck under a series of barbed wire and electric fences on a kayak trip down the north fork of the Palouse River in late June, a trip she later complained about to Palouse city staff and state agencies.

Cattle owners on that section of the river do not believe their cattle are a problem, according to Gazette interviews with owners Matt Collier and Ruth Bruns.

Saunders sent messages to Palouse Mayor Michael Echanove and the Department of Ecology that pointed out she had to duck fences and paddle through water with cattle standing nearby during her kayak trip from...