Local News

Vehicular access to Geezer Beach will be restricted to increase safety

USBR Release

Jun 11, 2019

The Bureau of Reclamation will continue to allow fishing, recreation and use of the boat ramp on land adjacent to Grand Coulee Dam, locally known as Geezer Beach. However, due to safety concerns, cars, trucks, all-terrain vehicles and recreational vehicles will be required to park in designated parking areas and will not be allowed to drive or park on the shoreline or drawdown.

Vehicular access is already restricted along all other parts of the Lake Roosevelt shoreline. The changes at Geezer Beach will ensure safe conditions and a safe recreational experience throughout the more than 500 miles of shoreline around Lake Roosevelt. These changes will be enforced by Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation Tribal Police as the law enforcement entity for that area of shoreline.

Reclamation prepared and released the final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for these changes at Geezer Beach. The environmental documents address safety concerns related to driving or parking vehicles on the shoreline or the drawdown within Reclamation land adjacent to Grand Coulee Dam. The EA analyzed three actions, including a No Action Alternative. Under the preferred alternative, Alternative B was selected.

The draft EA was released for public comment in May 2019. The final EA and FONSI were prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and are available online at https://www.usbr.gov/pn/programs/ea/wash/geezerbeach/index.html. For more information or to request a hard copy of the final EA and FONSI, please contact Lynne Brougher at 509-633-9503 or lbrougher@usbr.gov.