WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers invites members of the news media to meet with Corps officials Tuesday, May 17, to learn more about the soon-to-be-released draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) associated with the Corps’ effort to update the McNary Shoreline Management Plan.
The media opportunity with Corps leadership and planners is set for 4 p.m. on May 17 at the Pasco Red Lion Hotel, located at 2525 N. 20th Avenue in Pasco, Wash. Media planning to attend should R.S.V.P by contacting the Walla Walla District Public Affairs Office at (509) 527-7020 or cenww-pa@usace.army.mil.
The McNary Shoreline Management Plan provides guidance for managing the McNary (Lake Wallula) shoreline. This plan addresses rules and regulations, shoreline allocations and requirements for permitting private use of public lands managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). Releasing the draft EA and FONSI for public review and comment is a major milestone in the process of updating the Shoreline Plan, a step marking the near-completion of that process.
Most of the shoreline on McNary Dam’s reservoir (Lake Wallula) is federally managed. As a good environmental steward, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, manages public shorelines around Lake Wallula, including both the Columbia and Snake Rivers in the Tri-Cities area (Pasco, Richland, Kennewick) of Washington. The McNary Shoreline Management Plan was last revised in 1983. Environmental and cultural resource requirements have changed significantly, thus necessitating management updates and a review of the permitting process for private boat docks permitted or licensed on public land, and modifications to vegetation located on federally managed lands.
In 2005, the Corps began the process to update the Shoreline Plan which included gathering public input, conducting a scientific literature review and a bathymetric survey of parts of the shoreline, and working with other state and federal agencies to craft a new plan that would meet the requirements of federal laws and policies, balanced with public recreation.
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Release no. 11-54