Annual Report of the Chief of Engineers
on Civil Works Activities
Fiscal Year 1976
Department of the Army Corps of Engineers
Extract Report of Walla Walla District
Lower Granite Lock and Dam, Washington
Location. At River Mile 107.5 on Snake River at head of Lake Bryan and about 33 miles downstream from Lewiston, Idaho.
Existing project. See table 39-B for authorizing legislation. The facility includes a dam, powerplant, navigation lock, fish ladder, and appurtenant facilities; and required about 8 miles of backwater levees along the Snake and Clearwater Rivers at Lewiston, Idaho. Benefits afforded by project include slackwater navigation, power generation, recreation, and incidental irrigation. Water surface at the dam varies between Elevation 738 and 724 to maintain a normal operating range between Elevations 738 and 733 in Lewiston, Idaho-Clarkston, Washington, area. Dam structure is about 3,200 feet long and about 146 feet high above streambed. Powerhouse now has six 135,000-kilowatt generating units. Spillway has a capacity for design flood of 850,000 cubic feet per second. Navigation lock is single-lift type (105 feet maximum) with clear plan dimensions of 86 by 675 feet and a minimum depth of 15 feet over the sills. Principal data are set forth in table 39-H.
Estimated cost for new work (October 1976) is $364,237,000, consisting of $312,000,000 for the initial installation, $52,100,000 for power units 4 through 6, $135,000 for U.S. Coast Guard navigation aids, and $2,000 for value of public-owned lands.
Local cooperation. None required.
Operations and results during fiscal year. Major recreation contracts continue. All lands acquired for the project. Design for levee beautification completed and contracts awarded.
Operation and Maintenance: A total of 3.56 billion kilowatt hours of electric energy were delivered to Bonneville Power Administration, the marketing agency. A total of 165,857 tons of cargo passed through the navigation lock during calendar year 1975.
Condition as of September 30. Construction started in July 1965 and is about 86 percent complete. Acquisition of lands is 100 percent complete. Lake was filled February 15, 1975, and the first power generating unit went on the line April 15, 1975. An Environmental Impact Statement was filed with the Council on Environmental Quality November 1971.
Construction completion percentages are relocations 92; lake area 95; dam 100; navigation lock 100; fish facilities 83; powerplant 100; recreation facilities 45; backwater levees 100; and installation of power units 4 through 6, 48.
Power generation through September 1976 has been 4.01 billion kilowatt hours, representing a gross income of $9.6 million to the U.S. Treasury from sale of power by Bonneville Power Administration.
The Association of Northwest Steelheaders and seven other environmental organizations in March 1970 sued to stop construction of Lower Granite Lock and Dam and to preserve as a natural river the reach of river the impoundment would occupy. The Department of Fisheries and the Department of Game of the State of Washington joined the suit as plaintiffs to require the Corps to consult directly with them on impacts of water resource development on wildlife, to pay them for their services, and to require the Corps to submit their comments or reports to Congress but not to stop the dams under construction or modification of existing dams. Motions were heard at Spokane, Washington, on 12 November 1971, by U.S. Judge William N. Goodwin. On 14 December 1971, he filed a Memorandum of Opinion concluding that the Court lacked jurisdiction and the action of the plaintiffs was dismissed. Notice of appeal to the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at San Francisco was filed in January 1972. Appellants Briefs were filed 24 April 1972. The Government's reply Brief was filed in May 1972. Hearings were held on 13 June 1973 at San Francisco and on 21 September 1973, the District Court opinion was reversed and remanded to the District Court with instructions to the District Court that the trial court should determine whether each point for relief requested by plaintiffs would constitute such an intolerable burden to Governmental functions when weighed against private harm that dismissal of each point is requested. Pre-trial hearing was held 20 May 1974 at which time the plaintiffs were required to file a restatement of their contentions but no definite time was set for this file to be submitted. The plaintiffs filed amended contentions on 16 June 1975 and 31 July 1975. The Government's reply thereto was due 16 September 1975, but the U.S. Attorney obtained an extension and the reply was filed on 1 October 1975. To date no further action has been taken.