The impromptu billboard along I-5 must find a new home so fish can return to theirs.
Driving north along Interstate 5, coming into Bellingham, an unusual billboard sits with over 50 years of messages painted on its face. Commuters, visitors and residents alike spot the constantly changing messages from “Rest In Peace” to “Congratulations.” Locals refer to this harbinger as the Bellingham Rock.
Painted by countless people, the rock has been a part of the community since the construction of the highway in the late ‘60s. The Washington State Department of Transportation’s deadline for finding a new home for the rock to make way for its fish passage project was Sunday, June 1. Since no location was found, the likely alternative will be demolition in some form.
A path for fish
The plan is to remove 17 fish migration barriers along I-5 in Skagit and Whatcom counties. It is one project in a larger effort by the WSDOT to improve fish passages along state highways. In 2013, a federal court required WSDOT to remove or repair culverts in western Washington by 2030 to help fish habitats. As of June 2024, 146 barrier culverts have been repaired or removed to aid fish migration. Culverts are one of the major barriers for salmon, bull trout and steelhead.
Culverts are designed for drainage, often placed under roads to allow water to pass without causing erosion. Problems for fish passage arise when culverts are small, placed too high for fish to jump or are too steep for fish to swim up. These structures were often built in place of a bridge to still allow water flow but have since been researched and found to impede fish migration. Previous projects by WSDOT have seen great promise for fish habitats when culverts are removed. In Bellingham, salmon are returning to streams after bridges were put in place of culverts in 2021.
The Bellingham Rock is in the way of this project and, according to a WSDOT website, must be moved and cannot be put back after its removal. The Federal Highway Administration and WSDOT will not allow the rock to be placed back for safety concerns.
According to Keith Cook, who runs the Facebook group for the Bellingham Rock, the only way to access the rock is by parking or walking along the freeway.
“If this moves, I think the lemonade in here is that it can be in a safer spot,” Cook said.
A new home
Suggestions for the rock’s new location have included rest stops, park-and-rides or private properties in nearby areas.
The concern with these areas is public access and safety issues. Tests conducted by WSDOT have determined that the rock has a potential for soil contamination if moved to a new location from paint previously used that contained metals such as lead and cadmium.
‘If this moves, I think the lemonade …
is that it can be in a safer spot.’
Cook said, despite WSDOT denying his suggestions for alternative locations by the June 1 deadline, he will continue his search for a home for the Bellingham Rock until removal begins next spring.
The most recent location Cook submitted for approval last month was another place along I-5, with a property owner located near Bill McDonald Parkway in Bellingham.
The deadline for the official plan to demolish and remove the rock and preserve some pieces is set for December, so there is a chance WSDOT may consider Cook’s alternative location suggestions in the meantime, he said.
Community heirloom
Cook started the Facebook page for the Bellingham Rock in 2011. Driving by the rock, he would read its messages. Sometimes they were easy to understand, but others made him curious to know the backstory. So, he decided to create a place for people to share those stories.
“It’s over 50 years of memories that people have painted on there, and they’re important,” Cook said.
Many people now send in their paintings to be posted by using a sign that Cook placed next to the rock with information about the Facebook page. Some images being shared aren’t from recent years. According to Cook, painting the rock is momentous enough for people to save their images for decades. One of the most recent images he received was from someone who painted the rock 40 years ago.
Everyone paints the rock.
“I think pretty much all walks of life of people have painted it. It’s not a class thing or a Democratic or Republican thing,” Cook said. “It does seem to be a Whatcom County thing.”
The backside of the rock is bare, but the side that faces oncoming traffic along I-5 has anywhere from two to six inches of paint slathered onto it, according to Cook. He describes the rock and its paint as looking like a gobstopper.
Cook has painted the rock three times. The most recent was a few weeks ago when he painted “Save the Rock” with a yellow background and bold black letters.
According to Cook, painting the rock has been a bucket list item for some, and for others, it’s been a way to remember loved ones who have passed away.
“It’s fun to share people’s moments, and it’s agony and victory. I like showing the victories,” Cook said. “But you take the good and the bad. We all pass away, and it’s cool when your buddies roll out of bed and go up there and paint a memory for you. It’s a tombstone for many, many folks.”
Cook has been party to WSDOT discussions about what to do with the rock and what guidelines must be met for safety and public access. He believes there are many ideas for the rock’s relocation but that there are also many hoops to jump through to get it there.
The rock is estimated to weigh 100 tons.
Cook does not know the estimate for the cost of moving the rock, and questions to WSDOT went unanswered.
“Now the story is the rock, not what’s painted on the rock,” Cook said.
— By Margaret Baumgartner
Also read in Salish Current:
• “The salmon come home after home is restored,” Dec. 18, 2024
• “Detour? Delay? Drivers, businesses cope with construction,” Aug. 18, 2023
• “Second phase of fish passage work underway on Padden Creek,” May 7, 2021
• “Little estuary to see big restoration investment,” April 25, 2021