POST FALLS - When Steve Shamion can walk under his boat dock on the Spokane River and the Fourth of July weekend is just a few days away, he knows it's an abnormal year and recreation prospects for the holiday on the river are fizzling.

"It's frustrating for us on the river who can't dock their boats at our homes until after the Fourth," he said. "This year will be as late as I've ever seen it (reach summer level). But it is what it is. Avista's hands are tied, and hopefully next year it will be up by Memorial Day."

Help for river recreation is finally on the way. Avista began closing the spillgates of its Post Falls Dam on Tuesday night after Lake Coeur d'Alene reached the summer lake level of 2,128 feet, so the river will continue to rise over the next two to three weeks.

But the boat launch at Post Falls' Q'emiln Park next to the dam won't open until the last gate has closed for safety reasons.

Anna Scarlett, Avista spokeswoman, said the last gate isn't expected to close until mid-July, weather permitting.

"We were hoping it would happen the weekend after the Fourth, but it's looking more like mid-July," Scarlett said.

That will be the latest date the launch has opened since the county and city boater/swimmer safety ordinances for the launch went into effect 14 years ago.

The launch opened as late as July 8 in 2008 and as early as May 27 in 2005. The median date for the opening during the 14-year stretch is June 22.

This year will mark the third year in the past four that the launch has opened after July 4.

Runoff from the mountains determines the dates. Lingering snowpack this year, coupled with a wet spring, have delayed summer lake and river levels.

"There's nothing anyone can do about it," said Jim Aucutt, president of the Spokane River Association. "That's Mother Nature."

The flow of the river at the dam has to be below 5,400 cubic feet per second before the last gate can be closed. The river was running at 17,000 cfs on Tuesday.

The tardiness of the summer level can be a grind on river property owners near the dam because boating season only runs through the end of September in a good year.

How much property owners are affected by the river levels varies by location. Aucutt can leave his boat at his dock year round, whereas some docks across the river from him are still high and dry.

The river can be navigated now via boat - kayaks and canoes aren't recommended due to the strong current - but boaters run the risk of damaging their vessels or getting hung up on stumps or rock when the river is low.

"The vast majority of the people boating on the river now don't live on the river," said Shamion. "They're the ones who bought a boat last year and are anxious to try it out."

Aucutt said the area of Greensferry Road can be particularly shallow and should be navigated with caution this weekend.

"If you don't know the river, I wouldn't boat on it until it reaches summer level," Aucutt said.

When Shamion sees people wakeboarding or waterskiing under these conditions with the cold water, he calls it "insane." With the water temperature holding around 57 degrees, swimmers are urged to use extreme caution.

"Hyperthermia can set in quickly and the current can carry kids away before you know it," Aucutt said.