Chelan County Public Works announced that the drop-off brush site in Leavenworth will not re-open this spring; it is closed permanently.
The public brush site has seen decreasing participation in the last couple years, going from annually collecting more than 1,500 cubic yards to collecting 458 cubic yards in 2024, said Eric Pierson, Chelan County Public Works director and county engineer.
“Our only goal with the site was to break even, but the low participation means revenues are not covering costs, including hauling and staff time,” Pierson said. “To cover our costs, we would have to raise the fee to over $150 a drop-off. And that is not reasonable. The good news is the community has a viable option at the nearby compost facility in Winton, which may account for the drop in participation at the county site.”
The Leavenworth brush site, located at the intersection of Icicle and East Leavenworth roads, was opened in 2017 to service residents living in the apple maggot quarantine zone of Chelan County, which includes Leavenworth, Plain and Lake Wenatchee. At that time, there were no private compost businesses servicing the area.
Residents living in the quarantine area are reminded that state law prohibits brush to leave a quarantine zone. The Dryden Transfer Station is located in a pest-free area; it does not accept yard waste from the quarantine area.
For those people living in the quarantine zone, Winton MFG Compost Works, 17400 Winton Road, is open most days of the week. See the business’ website for hours and fees. People living in the Leavenworth city limits also have the option of using the city’s recycling center.
People living outside the quarantine zone can bring their yard waste to the brush yards at the Dryden and Chelan transfer stations. The Chelan facility is currently open for brush drop-off; the Dryden facility will be open for brush drop-off in April.
For information about where to take your yard debris, visit the Chelan County Solid Waste website.
