Grant PUD photo contest runs through August

EPHRATA - Photography enthusiasts, take note: Grant County PUD's River Nomad photo contest is underway.

Participants can post photos taken along the Columbia River to PUD's Facebook page until the end of August for a chance to win prizes.

This is the second year the agency has held the competition, PUD spokesperson Tom Stredwick said.

"We started it last year, and it was pretty successful," he said. "A lot of people had a good time with it."

Stredwick said photos must be taken along the Columbia River near Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams.

"That's kind of the only requirement, so photos taken below Rock Island Dam and below Priest Rapids Dam," he said.

The agency maintains about 23 recreation sites along that stretch of river.

"Some have swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, camping and day use picnic areas," he said. "People snapping photos while they're down visiting any of those sites, those are primarily the photos we want posted to our page."

Stredwick said photos can also include images of rock-climbing, bird-watching, or other river-fun action shots that aren't necessarily taken on PUD sites.

"We don't maintain rock-climbing sites, but there are areas on state land for that," he said. "There's also a ton of wildlife down there. We always get some interesting photos."

Participants can submit their photos directly to the agency's Facebook page.

"They have to like us on Facebook and then they will have the ability to post the photos directly," he said.

The contest is open to photographers of all levels and skills, he said.

"The majority of the photos we get are from people snapping photos on their phones," said Stredwick.

August 31 is the last day to post photos, he said. After that, PUD will go through the submissions to see how many "likes" each photo received.

Stredwick said the three photos with the most "likes" will be considered winners. The participants who submitted the winning photos will receive a tour of the PUD's stretch of the Columbia River near Priest Rapids and Wanapum dams or Camper Bucks, which can be used at various Washington State Parks, he said.

Stredwick said the public can also participate in the contest by "liking" their favorite photos on PUD's Facebook page.

He said the goal of the contest is to highlight the many ways people can enjoy that stretch of the Columbia River.

"It's kind of a hidden gem down there," he said.

"There are a lot of great sites and great things to do."

For more information about the contest, or to post or "like" photos, visit https://www.facebook.com/GrantCountyPUD.