Posted on June 7, 2016
Following extensive U.S. Army Corps of Engineers review, the Northwestern Division Commander, Brigadier General Scott A. Spellmon, determined the Salmon River is navigable for 259 miles, from the Snake River confluence west of White Bird upstream to Salmon.
The Corps previewed this decision in meetings with county governments in April, and the decision is consistent with other long-established determinations made by the State of Idaho (1980) and the U.S. Coast Guard (1974) that the Salmon River in Idaho meets navigability criteria.
The navigability study effort involved locating, researching and summarizing evidence of historical use and condition of the waterway, collecting technical and mapping information on the river system, and preparing an official report of findings. This navigability determination is pursuant to Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act, which regulates work conducted below a navigable river’s ordinary high-water mark. Regulated activities include: structures built, excavation, dredging, or depositing material in the river, and “any other work that affects the course, location, condition or capacity of navigable waters.”
Kelly Urbanek, Chief of the Regulatory Division for the Walla Walla District, which includes the state of Idaho, and other representatives of the Corps’ Walla Walla District, met with local congressional representatives and commissioners from Idaho, Lemhi, Lewis, and Nez Perce counties during April and May, to explain how the river’s new classification could affect those who do work the river.
#”During the coming year, we will be developing permit procedures to help applicants with the regulatory process. We will also meet with user groups and the public in several communities,” said Urbanek.
#The Salmon River and its tributaries are already subject to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act, requiring a U.S. Army Corps permit to conduct work or discharge material in the river. Because issuing a permit is a federal action, the Corps must consult with other federal agencies to ensure permitted activities do not violate other federal laws such as the Endangered Species Act.
Source: Idaho County Free Press
