Grant PUD closes shoreline
This sailboat was docked on the Columbia River until the Grant PUD lowered water levels by 20 feet, leaving it stranded.
BEVERLY — The Grant PUD closed the shoreline Wednesday exposed by the drawdown of the reservoir behind Wanapum Dam because of extremely unstable conditions.
A woman sank to her waist in the wet sand and was rescued by firefighters, according to the Grant County Sheriff’s Office. She was not hurt.
Signs are posted in the area to notify the public and Grant PUD is patrolling the shoreline. State and local law enforcement agencies will be notified whenever anyone is observed trespassing on PUD lands.
Sections of the shoreline, including the riverbank and mud flats, pose a serious safety hazard. Boat launches on the Wanapum and Priest Rapids dam reservoirs are also closed to the public. The Wanapum Dam Overlook remains open.
The PUD continues to work with experts and regulators to determine the best course of action to repair a fracture in the spillway at the dam found last week. To take pressure off the damaged spillway pier, the reservoir behind the dam was drawn down about 26 feet.
For the latest information on this story, read Friday's edition of the Columbia Basin Herald.
— Staff report