U.S. Army Corps of Engineers re-opens area dams after changing security from contract

Little Goose and Lower Granite dams were among six re-opened to private vehicle crossings by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last Thursday, Oct. 1. The re-opening also includes visitors’ centers, including the fish viewing room on the south side of Lower Granite Dam.

Crossings had been closed because the corps’ security contract with HWA, Inc., of Seattle, was nullified. The corps signed a new $190,405 contract with Doyon Logistics Services, LLC, of Federal Way that extends through the end of this year.

The company is an offshoot of Doyon, Limited, one of 13 Alaska Native regional corporations created by Congress in 1971 under the terms of the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. The company is a for-profit corporation with more than 17,500 shareholders.

The corps will assemble a new security contract for next year.

According to a corps press release, the HWA contract was cancelled Sept. 3 because the company did not meet the terms of the contract. The release said the corps made sure guards received wages they had earned under the HWA pact.

Corps officials said all but two of the guards working for HWA were retained by Doyon.