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Washington · Columbia River Estuary · Southwest Washington
Wahkiakum County, Washington
Washington's second-least populated county on the Columbia River estuary — from Cathlamet's Victorian riverside town to Skamokawa's historic cannery heritage on the Columbia, the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer, and a tiny remote county where the Columbia River begins to widen into its estuary and the Pacific influence is first felt in the tidal backwaters.
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Office: Wahkiakum County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Emergency Management – P.O. Box 65, Cathlamet, WA 98612
Notes: Coordinates emergency management for the Cities of Cathlamet, Skamokawa, Grays River, Rosburg, and Naselle, plus all unincorporated areas of the county; works with the Washington State Emergency Management Division and Homeland Security Region 4 (Cowlitz, Clark, Skamania, Wahkiakum counties). A genuinely current, active alert as of this writing concerns a shutdown of the Wahkiakum County Ferry (the “Oscar B”) – confirm current ferry operational status directly given how essential this crossing is (see Roads & Transportation below). During extreme cold (temperatures dropping to 28°F), residents needing shelter can go to the Wahkiakum County Sheriff’s Department; the Cathlamet Community Center also opens a day center during severe weather.
Roads & Utilities
ROADS & TRANSPORTATION
Roads: SH-4 runs through Cathlamet; SR 409 crosses via the Julia Butler Hansen Bridge to Puget Island
Transit: The Wahkiakum County Ferry (the “Oscar B”) is genuinely the LAST regularly scheduled car ferry crossing the Columbia River between Washington and Oregon anywhere on the lower river – it connects Puget Island (via the 1939 Julia Butler Hansen Bridge from Cathlamet) to Westport, Oregon, and has operated continuously since 1925; Washington State has financially supported its operation since 1969 as a de facto extension of SR 409. CONFIRM CURRENT FERRY STATUS DIRECTLY given the active shutdown alert noted above – this is likely the primary river crossing many residents rely on.
Business & Permits
BUILDING & PERMITS
Office: Wahkiakum County Building & Planning – 64 Main Street, P.O. Box 97, Cathlamet, WA 98612 | (360) 795-3067 | Building Inspector Dave Hicks, [email protected], office (360) 795-6100 ext. 104, cell (360) 353-8074
Services: Genuinely limited office hours reflecting the county’s small staff and rural scale – Monday: in-office 8 AM–4 PM; Tuesday: field inspections 11 AM–3 PM; Wednesday: OFFICE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC; Thursday: field inspections 8 AM–3 PM; Friday: in-office 8 AM–4 PM; the 4th Thursday of each month includes the Planning Commission meeting at 6 PM
Notes: Manufactured home Title Elimination permits, required countywide including within Cathlamet town limits, must go through this county office even for in-town properties – a notable exception to the usual city/county split. Recreational structures without plumbing, conditioned air, and detached from other buildings do NOT require a Building Permit Application, but cannot be used as permanent residences. Attached structures always require a permit regardless of amenities. Permanent residences require county Environmental Health Department approval for water/septic before a building permit can be issued. The Town of Cathlamet has adopted the 2018 International Building Codes for in-town construction but directs building permit administration to Wahkiakum County Building & Planning directly – there is no separate town building department.
Veterans Services
VETERANS SERVICES
State VSO: Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs – dva.wa.gov (statewide office locator for the nearest County Veterans Service Officer)
Notes: Confirm current local point of contact directly with dva.wa.gov.
Libraries
LIBRARIES
System: Confirm current library structure directly, as a specific named system for Wahkiakum County was not clearly confirmed in available sources.
Notes: Contact Wahkiakum County or the Town of Cathlamet directly for current library hours and location.
Parks & Recreation
PARKS & RECREATION
Key Assets: Wahkiakum County is genuinely Washington’s THIRD-LEAST populous county (population 4,422 as of 2020), with Cathlamet, the county seat and only incorporated town, home to just 560 residents; Cathlamet was historically one of the largest Columbia River Native American villages west of the Cascades, home of the Kathlamet people, and the county itself is named for Chief Wahkiakum (“Tall Timber”) of the Chinook, who is buried in Cathlamet’s Pioneer Cemetery; the county was formed from Cowlitz County in April 1854; the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge for the Columbian White-Tailed Deer, established 1972 and spanning 5,600 acres partly in Washington and partly in Oregon, was created specifically to protect the endangered Columbian white-tailed deer, and also serves as a major wintering ground for waterfowl and shorebirds; the refuge and the nearby bridge are both named for Julia Butler Hansen, the first Democratic woman elected to Congress from Washington; the historic Roberts House in Cathlamet, built 1857 by Hudson’s Bay Company settler James Birnie, is the oldest surviving house in the county and now serves as the Julia Butler Hansen Heritage Center and the Wahkiakum Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center; in 1866, William Hume started the Columbia River commercial canning industry near Eagle Cliff in eastern Wahkiakum County; annual events include Bald Eagle Days and Oktoberfest; recreational access to the Columbia River is available via three main boat launches – Skamokawa Slough, Elochoman Marina, and Puget Island
Notes: The Wahkiakum County Ferry’s status as the last regularly scheduled Columbia River car ferry between Washington and Oregon is a genuinely unique, verifiable transportation fact – not a tourism claim.
GIS & Maps
GIS & MAPS
GIS Portal: Wahkiakum County GIS Map Library – accessible via co.wahkiakum.wa.us
Parcel Search: Wahkiakum County Assessor’s records
Addressing/911: Coordinated through Wahkiakum County Emergency Management
Animal Services
ANIMAL SERVICES
Facility: Wahkiakum Animal Advocates Group (WAAG) – P.O. Box 231, Cathlamet, WA | (360) 504-6336 | Email: [email protected]
Services: Founded 2019, an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving abandoned, neglected, and abused animals throughout Wahkiakum County and neighboring communities; provides education, spay/neuter promotion, and general support for pet owners
Notes: WAAG appears to operate primarily as a rescue/advocacy organization rather than a physical walk-in shelter with regular public hours – confirm current facility status and intake process directly given its small, volunteer-driven structure. No separate county-run animal control department was clearly confirmed in available sources; confirm current enforcement arrangements directly with the county or Sheriff’s Office.
Environmental & Waste
ENVIRONMENTAL / WASTE MANAGEMENT
Environmental Complaints: Washington State Department of Ecology – ecology.wa.gov
Notes: Contact Wahkiakum County Public Works directly for current refuse collection and recycling program details.
NOTES
Wahkiakum County holds a genuinely unique transportation distinction – its county-operated ferry is the last regularly scheduled car ferry crossing the Columbia River anywhere between Washington and Oregon, a legacy dating to 1925. As Washington’s third-least-populous county, its government offices operate on genuinely limited schedules reflecting its small scale (the Building & Planning office is closed to the public entirely on Wednesdays). Given a current ferry service alert, residents relying on this crossing should confirm status directly before travel. All contact information above was sourced from official county, town, and heritage pages as of this writing; phone numbers and hours should be reconfirmed directly with the relevant office before a visit.
About Wahkiakum County
Wahkiakum County is Washington’s least populous county and its lower Columbia River island county – the free ferry connecting Puget Island to Oregon and the broad Columbia’s tidal landscape of dairy farms, salmon, and sturgeon define a county whose river character is among the most authentic and least-changed on the lower Columbia.
Cathlamet (the county seat, population ~550) is Wahkiakum County’s governmental hub on WA-4, a tiny lower Columbia River community whose Puget Island ferry, Columbia River heritage, and county character anchor its identity as Washington’s smallest county.
All Services
Browse every category and topic available for this county.
Wahkiakum County Assessor at 64 Main Street, Cathlamet, WA 98612, phone 360-795-3219. WA assessed at 100% fair market value.
Courts & Legal
Wahkiakum County Superior Court (Probate) at 64 Main Street, Cathlamet, WA 98612, phone 360-795-3558, handles probate.
Marriage & Vital Records
Marriage licenses, divorce records, and birth & death certificates are handled by the following office(s):
COUNTY CLERK
64 Main St, Cathlamet, WA 98612
(360) 795-3219
Genealogy
County-level record sources
Wahkiakum County Superior Court Clerk’s Office, Cathlamet (probate/estate case files – see Probate section above).
Southwest Regional Branch of the Washington State Archives, at Washington State University Vancouver, serves counties in this region.
Local societies
No dedicated Wahkiakum County genealogical society was confirmed in available directories.
Probate & Estate
Losing someone and having to deal with courts and paperwork at the same time is hard. This section won’t make that easier, but it should tell you what to expect, what it costs, and where to go – so at least you’re not walking in blind.
Where to go
Wahkiakum County Superior Court 64 Main Street, PO Box 116, Cathlamet, WA 98612 (360) 795-3558
Wahkiakum County is in Southwest Washington along the lower Columbia River, Washington’s least populous county, county seat Cathlamet. Washington has NO separate probate court and has NOT adopted the Uniform Probate Code – probate is handled through the Superior Court in each county, under Title 11 RCW. The Superior Court Clerk in Washington is a constitutionally elected position, titled “ex officio Clerk of the Court.”
Step 1: figure out which path applies
Washington probate is entirely discretionary – the law does not require a probate proceeding to be filed after a death, regardless of whether there was a will. Probate is typically pursued only when the decedent owned real property titled solely in their name, or personal property exceeding the small estate threshold.
Small Estate Affidavit (RCW 11.62.010) – available when the decedent’s entire probate estate does not exceed $100,000 (personal property only, not counting the surviving spouse’s community property interest), and at least 40 days have passed since death. No court filing is required – the successor presents the sworn affidavit directly to whoever holds the asset. All debts must be paid or provided for first.
Nonintervention Powers (RCW 11.68) – Washington’s signature alternative to full court-supervised probate. If the estate is solvent, the Superior Court MUST grant the personal representative nonintervention powers upon request (unless the will specifically forbids it). Once granted, the representative can sell, mortgage, and distribute estate property, and ultimately close the estate by filing a Declaration of Completion – all without further court orders, notice to beneficiaries, or hearings.
Full/Supervised Administration – required only when nonintervention powers are denied or not sought, typically in contested or insolvent estates.
TEDRA (Trust and Estate Dispute Resolution Act, RCW 11.96A) – Washington’s framework for resolving probate, trust, and estate disputes.
Step 2: filing for administration
The person seeking to serve as personal representative files a petition with the Wahkiakum County Superior Court Clerk’s Office, along with the original will (if any) and a certified death certificate.
The court appoints the personal representative and issues Letters Testamentary (with a will) or Letters of Administration (without one).
The personal representative petitions for nonintervention powers, which the court must grant if the estate is solvent (unless the will forbids it).
Once granted, the representative pays debts, manages and distributes property, and notifies creditors, without further court supervision.
The estate is closed by filing a Declaration of Completion.
What it costs
Filing fees and probate costs vary by estate complexity; confirm current Wahkiakum County Superior Court fees directly.
Washington HAS a state estate tax, separate from any small estate affidavit or nonintervention process. For deaths on or after July 1, 2026, the applicable exclusion amount is $3,000,000 (RCW 83.100.020), with rates from 10% to 20%. There is NO portability between spouses.
The federal estate tax exemption is far higher, at $15,000,000 for a 2026 death.
Probate filings, estate administration, and guardianship matters are handled by the following office(s):
Public Safety & Arrests
Arrest records, inmate search, and law enforcement services are handled by the following office(s):
SHERIFF
64 Main St, Cathlamet, WA 98612
(360) 795-3242
Elections & Voting
Voter registration, polling locations, and elections information are handled by the following office(s):
ELECTIONS
64 Main St, Cathlamet, WA 98612
(360) 795-3219
Health & Human Services
Offices & Contacts
Health services, social services, and assistance programs are handled by the following office(s):
Health Department
Wahkiakum County Public Health, 64 Main St, Cathlamet, WA 98612
(360) 795-6207
DSHS Community Services Office
via Longview, 1522 11th Ave, Longview, WA 98632
(360) 501-2700
Public Health Information
PUBLIC HEALTH
Office: Wahkiakum County Health & Human Services
Services: Immunizations, WIC, environmental health, vital records, septic/water approval for building permits
Notes: Crisis behavioral health services are available 24/7 through Great Rivers Behavioral Health; a Behavioral Health Ombuds is available free of charge for clients of publicly funded mental health/substance use treatment.
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Last verified June 2026
County Facts
County Seat: Cathlamet
Population: 4,300
Area: 264 mi²
Tier: 3
Public Records
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