POMEROY, Wash. – The Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is making progress on cleanup of Illia Dunes recreation area on the Snake River. The area was closed to public use on Monday due to health and safety concerns after heavy visitation and trash accumulation occurring this past weekend. More than 3,000 people visited the popular recreation area Aug. 25 and 26. Many broken bottles and beer cans were left in the water, garbage was strewn about the parking lots, and litter was discarded along the roadway. Corps staff and a grounds maintenance contractor have cleaned most of the trash from the beach area at Illia Dunes. About 3,000 pounds of trash have been removed as of today including hundreds of Styrofoam coolers. Trash still needs to be removed from the in-water area of the dunes, plus three miles of ditch between Illia Dunes and Lower Granite Dam.