SNAKE RIVER, Wash. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District has issued revised Master Plans for the Lower Monumental and Little Goose Projects. Each Master Plan includes a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) and an Environmental Assessment (EA). The Master Plans were updated because the original Master Plans were more than 50 years old and there have been changes in policy and management strategies over that time.
The Corps invited comments from the public, tribes, and local, state and federal agencies, regarding management of recreational, natural, and cultural resources considered in the revised draft Master Plans and associated EAs/FONSIs from July 20 through August 21, 2020. All comments received were considered and became part of the public record.
Master Plans guide how the Corps manages Lower Monumental project lands surrounding Lake West behind Lower Monumental Dam, and Little Goose project lands surrounding Lake Bryan behind Little Goose Dam. Master Plans are about the land – they do not address dam operations (e.g., spill, fish passage, or dam breaching), flood risk management (e.g., levees), or navigation.
The revised Little Goose and Lower Monumental Master Plans document changes that have occurred over the last 50 years on Corps lands and provide high-level management plans for the next 20 years based on the analysis of the recreational, natural, and cultural resources on project lands.
The Corps’ signed FONSI, EA, and related documents for the Lower Monumental Master Plan are available on the Walla Walla District website at https://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Locks-and-Dams/Lower-Monumental-Lock-and-Dam/Lower-Monumental-Master-Plan/
The Corps’ signed FONSI, EA, and other related documents for the Little Goose Master Plan are available on the Walla Walla District website at https://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Locks-and-Dams/Little-Goose-Lock-and-Dam/Little-Goose-Master-Plan/
For more information about the Lower Monumental and Little Goose Master Plans, contact the Master Plan Coordinator at 509-527-7137.