Lake Roosevelt Updates

Details

Published: Tuesday, 20 June 2023 20:33

National Park Service

Fish cleaning stations will remain closed until further notice due to accumulated oil from fish clogging septic systems.

A self-certification form is required to protect against quagga/zebra mussels. Visit bit.ly/3Ruc63j to download the form, complete and place in the windshield of your launch vehicle where it can be easily seen. Boats must be clean, drained and dry.

Campgrounds are reservation only. Check availability and book at recreation.gov. Go to nps.gov/laro/planyourvisit for complete recreation area information and resources.

Visit the Forum’s Lake Roosevelt recreational map and guide at lrf.org/recreation/lake-guide for fishing, camping, concessions, regulations, lake levels and more.

Bureau of Reclamation

The Grand Coulee Dam laser light show and public tours of the John W. Keys III Pump-Generating Plant began May 26. Visit usbr.gov/pn/grandcoulee/visit/ for additional information.

Lake Levels. Visit www.lrf.org/recreation/boatlaunch- lake-levels to check daily lake levels and the availability of boat launches. Visit usbr.gov/pn/grandcoulee/lakelevel/ to learn more about when and why lake levels fluctuate.

Spokane Tribe of Indians         

The tribe continues to engage in a mediation process to resolve challenges to the Columbia River System Operation 2020 Environmental Impact Statement and Biological Opinions for salmon and steelhead. Pending success or failure of mediation, a stay in litigation extends to August 31, 2023. The tribe contends federal agencies are failing to provide appropriate mitigation for the on-going impacts of salmon, steelhead, and lamprey being cut-off from the Columbia River above Chief Joseph and Grand Coulee dams.

U.S. State Department

A Columbia River Treaty listening session was held April 19^th. Both the U.S. and Canada remain committed to the goal of modernizing the treaty before a change to “called-upon” flood control provisions take effect in September 2024. Negotiators also met May 16-17 in Kelowna, British Columbia for the 17th round of negotiations toward a modernized Columbia River Treaty.

If the treaty is not modernized, current provisions and an annually calculated cost to compensate Canada to assure flood control benefits would stop. A change to called-upon means the U.S. would request and compensate Canada for flood control operations as necessary. The economic, operational, and ecological uncertainties of such a switch are well documented.