Boat Launches Open On Wanapum Dam

VANTAGE, Wash. (AP) — The state will reopen two boat launches and nearly 20 miles of shoreline along the reservoir above Wanapum Dam.

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife says they will be reopened to public use on Wednesday, when water levels will be restored to normal levels.

The Sunland Estates and Yo Yo Rock boat ramps near Vantage were among dozens of recreational sites closed to public access over the past year. That's after the Grant County Public Utility District lowered water levels 26 feet to repair a fractured spillway at Wanapum Dam.

Since stabilizing the dam, the utility has been raising water levels to areas of the 37-mile-long reservoir.

The state made major improvements to the Sunland Estates and Yo Yo boat launches while water levels were low.