Rykerts Seaplane Base

The specific reason is not officially documented, which is common for small, private facilities. Closure was most likely due to the cessation of use by the private owner(s). This is typically for personal or economic reasons, such as the sale of the associated property, the owner no longer flying, or the high cost of maintaining a floatplane and docking facilities. There is no evidence of closure due to a major accident or military conversion.

The site is no longer a designated or registered aerodrome. Satellite imagery of the coordinates shows a section of the Kootenay River adjacent to private agricultural and residential land. There is no visible remaining aviation infrastructure such as a dedicated dock, hangar, or windsock. The area is now simply a natural river environment, with the adjacent land being private property.

Rykerts Seaplane Base was a private water aerodrome located on the Kootenay River, just north of the Rykerts–Porthill Canada-US border crossing. Its significance was purely local, serving private general aviation in the Creston Valley. Operations consisted of VFR (Visual Flight Rules) takeoffs and landings by seaplanes (floatplanes or flying boats) like a Cessna 185 on floats or a de Havilland Beaver. It would have been used for recreational purposes, providing access to remote areas for fishing and hunting, or simply as a private base for a local pilot.

There are no known plans or public prospects for reopening Rykerts Seaplane Base. Establishing a new registered or certified aerodrome at this location would require a new, comprehensive application process with Transport Canada and Nav Canada, and there is no indication of any such effort.