KENNEWICK — You may find a favorite park or camping spot on the Snake River closed this summer.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is closing multiple outdoor recreation areas or amenities for the season in Eastern Washington, because of a lack of resources, including staff.
In addition, all project areas in the Walla Walla District of the Corps will see reductions in services, including maintenance, landscaping, trash collection and facility cleaning, the Corps announced Thursday afternoon.
Closures include Levey Park on the Snake River in Franklin County, the campground designed for RV hookups at Fishhook Park on the Snake River in Walla Walla County and the Illia Dunes Recreation Area, which is popular with college students.
The closures will allow staff to focus on maintaining safe, high-quality services at other locations the Walla Walla District of the Corps consider priorities.
“While these decisions were not made lightly, ensuring we continue to fulfill critical requirements for our land and wildlife management programs is necessary,” said Lt. Col. Katie Werback, commander of the Walla Walla District, in a statement.
The district has about 1,000 employees, and 50 have left through voluntary layoffs under the Trump administration, said Dylan Peters of the district’s Public Affairs Office.
The district also is coping with the impact of hiring freezes that are leaving park ranger positions unfilled, he said.
Resources are being allocated to protect land, Peters said.
In the case of the popular Illia Dunes in Garfield County the closure is a matter of public safety, he said.
Already sheriff’s deputies have had to be called to close the road to the park because so many cars were parked on the road that emergency vehicles would not have been able to reached the crowded park, if needed.
Particularly during May and August, it sometimes attracts hundreds of students from Washington State University in Pullman and the University of Idaho in Moscow to its sandy beach along the Snake River downstream from Lower Granite Dam.
It is not only a recreation area, but also a wildlife habitat management area.
Here are closures planned by the Corps:
Ice Harbor Dam and Lock
The Ice Harbor Visitor Center about 13 miles east of Pasco, including its fish viewing room, will close, although school and VIP tours may be booked.
Fishhook Park 18 miles east of Burbank on Highway 124 and then four miles north on Fishhook Park Road will open for the season as usual May 1.
However, the “Class A” campground will not open. Other more primitive camping sites will be available.
Levey Park, on the north side of the Snake River about 11 miles east of Pasco usually opens on Memorial Day Weekend, but will remain closed. The gates to the park will be closed to prevent people from entering.
The park usually offers day use boating, swimming, fishing and picnicking.
Little Goose Dam and Lock
Not only will the Illia Dunes Recreation Area, between the Little Goose and Lower Granite dams close, but the Lambi Creek and Willow Creek recreation areas also will close.
Lambi Creek Recreation Area, 5 miles west of Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River, and Willow Landing, near Highway 127, usually are open year round for day-Use, boating and primitive camping.
Lower Granite Dam and Lower Monumental
The Riparia Recreation Area in Whitman County will be closed. It offers day use and primitive camping.
Blyton Landing, also in Whitman County, with day-use, boating and primitive camping, will be closed.
The Lower Granite Dam visitor center will have no services available.
The Confluence parking and restrooms at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center will be closed.
