Nearly $1M project planned at popular riverfront campground near Tri-Cities

The Army Corps of Engineers will spend the off-season at popular Charboneau Park on the Snake River upgrading the park’s septic system to ensure that the thousands of visitors each year have safe and sanitary conditions.

The park and campground is 15 miles east of the Tri-Cities in Walla Walla County via Highway 124.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $927,000 construction to Civil Built, which has a Walla Walla office, for the construction work.

Charboneau Park has restrooms and showers; 18 of 54 campsites with sewer connections; and a boat pump-out station, all of which rely on the park’s septic system.

The upgrade will improve the system’s performance, reliability and long-term sustainability, along with bringing the septic system into compliance with Washington state Department of Health regulations, according to the Corps.

The improvements are expected to reduce future maintenance costs and protect the Snake River.

Construction will be done after the park closes for the season at the end of this month and should be done before it reopens in May. Boaters could experience some temporary outages of the marina pump-out station during constriction.