Banks Lake drawdown to limit access

GRAND COULEE — The Bureau of Reclamation will lower Banks Lake by 6.2 feet starting as early as Aug. 27, 2025, impacting several boat ramps. The drawdown, set to end by Sept. 4, will reduce the lake’s elevation to 1,563.8 feet to support fisheries and groundwater replacement for the Columbia Basin Project.

The annual late-summer drawdown boosts Columbia River streamflows for fish migration and supplies irrigation for 671,000 acres in the Odessa subarea. The first 5 feet aid fish passage, while the remaining 1.2 feet support farmland transitioning from groundwater to surface water.

Boaters and...