Corps re-opens Ilia Dunes after clean-up

The Ilia Dunes on the lower Snake River was re-opened Sunday by the United States Army’s Corps of Engineers.

A week-long clean-up after a wild party Aug. 25-26 netted more than 3,000 pounds of trash from the shore, the water and the three miles of ditch along the road between the dunes and Lower Granite Dam. The litter was hauled to the Asotin County landfill.

Corps officials estimated 3,000 people hit the dunes that weekend, an unusually large crowd compared to the typical weekend count of 100 to 300 visitors.

Bruce Henrickson, spokesman for the corps, said 64 volunteer students from Washington State University’s Center for Civic Engagement combed the beach Saturday to remove broken beer bottles from the shoreline.

“That was great that they were willing to come down and help us out,” said Henrickson.

Tiffanie Braun with WSU said students responded to the opportunity to clean up the previous weekend’s mess. Slots were filled shortly after the clean-up effort was posted on the center’s web site.

Were any of the prior week’s crowd among this week’s volunteers?

“Unfortunately we can’t send 3,000 students down there again,” said Braun. “It probably wasn’t the same students that were down there last week, but it would be nice if some of those same students pitched in.”

Corps officials noted many of the people at the party weekend event appeared to be of college age and crossed Lower Granite Dam to get to the Dunes.

Braun said there were rumors around campus that the big bash had been organized through social network sites. Henrickson said no official organized requests were submitted to the corps.

The dunes last week had been blocked off for public use with cones and signs. Henrickson said water quality tests showed the water was fit for recreational use.

He said corps officials will more closely monitor the dunes for the remainder of this recreation season. They may make rule changes to the use of the dunes in the future.

“Alcohol, especially, is something we’re going to be taking a look at,” he said.

Rangers will patrol the area more carefully.

He noted the beach area will be submerged soon as water levels are expected to rise three feet in the reservoir behind Little Goose Dam.