Letter: Turn rivershore back to counties

Our beautiful Columbia River offers the citizens of the Tri-Cities many opportunities for recreational activities. Yet, we are limited to what those opportunities are by the Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps has managed the shorelines for over 70 years for the purpose of flood control, but its own safety report estimates the flooding of the McNary Pool as low risk.

The time has come for the Corps to turn over the ownership and management of the shorelines and adjoining land back to the people of Benton and Franklin counties. The taxpayers of these counties pay to lease the shoreline from the Corps, pay additional money for the maintenance/upkeep and pay any fees the Corps charges for other use of the land. The taxpayers of Benton and Franklin counties should own and therefore have an opportunity to decide the use of shorelines and adjacent land. Money used now for leasing from the Corps could be used to improve the shoreline. As it is now, we have no input as to the use of our land. The Corps has many responsibilities, but the regulation and use of the Columbia River shorelines should not be one of them.