Posted on May 4, 2022
BURBANK, Wash.– The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District (Corps) invites the public to provide scoping comments for the upcoming revision of the McNary Master Plan. The Corps will be accepting comments from May 2 through June 2, 2022.
The Corps is interested in hearing how the public uses the lands surrounding Lake Wallula behind McNary Dam and how the public would like those lands to be managed in the future. The Corps will also prepare an Environmental Assessment to address potential environmental effects associated with the Master Plan revision. Public comments received during this scoping process will be considered during development of the draft Master Plan and the Environmental Assessment.
The Master Plan guides how the Corps manages project lands surrounding Lake Wallula behind McNary Dam. It was last revised in 1982, so it is out-of-date and needs to be updated according to current Corps policy. The Master Plan is a high-level, strategic document that describes how the Corps manages the recreational, natural, and cultural resources on these lands. Master Plans do not address dam operations such as spill, fish passage, or dam breaching.
The 1982 Master Plan and other associated documents are available on the Corps’ website at https://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Locks-and-Dams/McNary-Lock-and-Dam/McNary-Master-Plan/.
Written scoping comments will be accepted through June 2. Comments may be submitted electronically through the website or via email at McNaryMP@usace.army.mil. To submit written comments via the U.S. Postal Service, mail them to:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Walla Walla District
ATTN: McNary Master Plan
201 N. 3rd Avenue
Walla Walla, WA 99362-1876
As part of the process, the Corps has scheduled two open house public meetings to provide information and accept comments on the scope of the Master Plan revision. The meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, May 10 at the Red Lion Inn Columbia Center, Kennewick, Washington, and Wednesday, May 11 at the McNary Lock and Dam Visitor Center, Umatilla, Oregon. Both meetings will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. with formal presentations at 5 and 6 p.m.
Please note that the McNary Shoreline Management Plan (MSMP) is separate from the Master Plan and is not included in the Master Plan update. See the Master Plan website for more information on the relationship between the McNary Master Plan and the MSMP.
All comments received will be considered and become part of the public record. For more information about the McNary Master Plan revision, contact the Master Plan Coordinator at (509) 527-7137, or via email at McNaryMP@usace.army.mil. For more information on the Environmental Assessment, contact the Environmental Resource Specialist at (509) 527-7245 or via email at the McNary Master Plan address above.
