News Release Manager

13-036 Corps reminds public to play safe this summer

Gina Baltrusch — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:59:18 GMT

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the beginning of summer and serves as the official kick-off for seasonal recreation outdoor fun.

13-035 McNary Dam hosts free fishing derby for kids

Gina Baltrusch — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:51:36 GMT

UMATILLA, Ore. – Young anglers are invited to a free fishing derby at McNary Lock and Dam on Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to noon.

13-034 Dworshak Visitor Center announces new summer season hours

Gina Baltrusch — Thu, 16 May 2013 21:49:21 GMT

AHSAHKA, Idaho – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Dworshak Dam Visitor Center staff announced new hours for the 2013 summer recreation season. The visitor center will be open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., beginning May 25 and continuing through Sept. 2.

13-033 Lower Granite open for vehicle crossings on Memorial Day; Travelers should plan alternate routes across river at ‘LoMo’ and Little Goose dams

Gina Baltrusch — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:35:26 GMT

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – If your upcoming Memorial Day weekend plans include a road trip to visit family and friends on the opposite side of the lower Snake River, you may want to keep in mind that most U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dams are closed to cross-dam public vehicle traffic on federal holidays, unless otherwise announced.

13-032 Corps suspends Little Goose Dam public vehicle crossings through mid-July; temporary closure to accommodate new crane construction activities

Gina Baltrusch — Fri, 10 May 2013 21:08:17 GMT

STARBUCK, Wash. – Little Goose Lock and Dam, located at Snake River Mile 70.3 near Starbuck, Wash., will be closed to public vehicle traffic across the top of the dam May 15 through July 13.

13-031 Walla Walla District public affairs specialist earns top Corps awards

Gina Baltrusch — Fri, 03 May 2013 14:30:00 GMT

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Bruce Henrickson, a public affairs specialist at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District, earned two national-level awards for superior performance in Corps public affairs programs during 2012.

13-030 Dworshak Reservoir jumps up Bassmaster Magazine’s list of Top 100 best bass fishing spots

Gina Baltrusch — Thu, 02 May 2013 22:03:03 GMT

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – For the second year in a row, two locations managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District made the Bassmaster Magazine Top-100 list of best places to fish for bass, according to information released April 29 by B.A.S.S. Communications www.bassmaster.com/news/100-best-bass-lakes-announced.

13-029 Summer recreational vessel lockage schedule begins May 15

Gina Baltrusch — Thu, 02 May 2013 22:01:50 GMT

WALLA WALLA, Wash. -- Wednesday, May 15, marks the start of the summer schedule for recreational boaters using navigation locks to travel past U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers, Corps navigation planners announced today.

13-028 McNary navigation lock to temporarily close May 2

Gina Baltrusch — Wed, 01 May 2013 22:37:07 GMT

UMATILLA, Ore. – McNary Dam’s navigation lock, located at Columbia River Mile 292, near Umatilla, Ore., will be temporarily closed to all river traffic on Thursday, May 2, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., according to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ operations officials.

13-027 Illia Dunes parking to be limited for safety beginning in May

Bruce Henrickson — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:00:12 GMT

POMEROY, Wash. – Typical summer weekend visitation at Illia Dunes, a popular area near Lower Granite Lock and Dam on the lower Snake River, is 100 to 300 visitors, with up to 2,000 visitors on long holiday weekends or just before school begins in late summer. After an unexpected Aug. 25-26, 2012, weekend crowd of about 3,000 Illia Dunes visitors left behind thousands of pounds of trash, broken glass, foam coolers and other litter on the beach and along three miles of road ditch, the Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had no choice but to temporarily close the “Dunes” on Aug. 27 last year until it was safe again for visitors. The Dunes reopened on Sunday, Sept. 2, after a week-long cleanup effort by Corps staff and volunteers, just prior to the Monday Labor Day holiday. At that time, the Corps announced it would review options for maintaining public safety and health at Illia Dunes during the 2013 recreation season. To maintain safety, beginning in May this year, the Corps plans to limit Illia Dunes parking to two nearby Corps parking lots only. No public parking will be allowed on the adjacent 50-mph speed limit Almota Ferry Road as in past years.

13-026 Corps invites public to New Mill Creek Office ribbon-cutting and open house events

Gina Baltrusch — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:36:00 GMT

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers staff at Mill Creek Dam and Bennington Lake invite the public to attend a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 19 to celebrate the completion of the new Mill Creek Office building, the Walla Walla District’s first civil works construction project built to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) sustainable-building standards.

13-025 Corps extends public comment period on potential water quality effects of proposed Snake River sediment management

Bruce Henrickson — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 00:06:54 GMT

LEWISTON, Wash. – To allow for wider public input, the Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is extending the public comment period regarding Clean Water Act (CWA) compliance for a proposed dredging and in-water disposal action. Comments on the CWA compliance for the proposed dredging and in-water work are now due to the Corps by April 30. A separate but related public comment period for the Washington Dept. of Ecology regarding the same proposed in-water work has also been extended to April 30.

13-024 Dworshak announces early spring recreation opportunities

Gina Baltrusch — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 23:08:29 GMT

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – Enjoy early springtime in picturesque north Idaho at outdoor recreation facilities operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Dworshak Dam and Reservoir.

13-023 Corps reopens Hood Park day use area after gas leak repair

Gina Baltrusch — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 23:07:15 GMT

BURBANK, Wash. –The Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has reopened the Hood Park day use area near Burbank today. It had been closed due to a gas leak on the on the east side of the Park in the ponds area. Cascade Natural Gas repaired their gas line that runs through the park.

13-022 Don’t Wreck Your Spring Break

Stephen Doherty — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 22:40:06 GMT

To the estimated 3.7 million college students getting ready for a well-earned spring break, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers urges you to play it safe while at the beach or around water. Don’t wreck your spring break! Following these simple top ten tips could mean the difference between life and death.

13-021 Reserve Dent Acres campsites at Dworshak Dam at Recreation.gov this season

Stephen Doherty — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 22:35:31 GMT

Campers are invited by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Dworshak Dam and Reservoir to reserve campsites at Dent Acres Campground using the www.recreation.gov reservation system. Reservations can be made for camping dates May 23 or later, though the campground opens on April 11 on a first-come, first-served basis.

13-020 Rooks Park to open one day early on Sunday

Bruce Henrickson — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 17:14:35 GMT

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will open Rooks Park to vehicles for the upcoming recreation season one day earlier than originally planned. The park will open to vehicle traffic on Sunday, March 31, instead of its usual annual seasonal opening date of April 1. Rooks Park is located on Mill Creek Road just east of Walla Walla, Wash.

13-019 Corps temporarily closes Hood Park day use area due to gas leak

Bruce Henrickson — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:35:00 GMT

BURBANK, Wash. – As a precaution, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed Hood Park near Burbank, Wash., on Tuesday due to a gas leak in the day use area on the east side of the Park in the ponds area. The boat ramp area remains open 24 hours a day.

13-018 Lower Monumental Dam to install turbine intake fish screens; vehicle-crossings temporarily closed

Gina Baltrusch — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 20:01:13 GMT

POMEROY, Wash. – Vehicle crossings at Lower Monumental Lock and Dam will be temporarily closed March 18-20 to accommodate maintenance activities to occur on top of the dam, according to operations officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District.

13-017 Corps begins filling Bennington Lake for upcoming recreation season

Gina Baltrusch — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 22:43:07 GMT

WALLA WALLA, Wash. – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operations staff began diverting water from Mill Creek to Bennington Lake yesterday in preparation for the upcoming recreation season.