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Grant PUD reopens some recreation sites

CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 5 years, 10 months AGO
by CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | June 2, 2020 12:04 AM

EPHRATA — Some campsites at Crescent Bar and other Grant County PUD recreation sites were reopened Monday.

Campers will be able to set up in most campsites at Crescent Bar, Sand Hollow and the Priest Rapids Recreation Area. All campsites have been reopened at Rocky Coulee and Jackson Creek.

Day-use facilities have reopened at the Vantage Boat Launch and Recreation Area. So have many of the recreation facilities at Crescent Bar, including the day-use marina and fuel area. All restrooms at Crescent Bar have reopened, along with beaches, walking trails, shelters and picnic areas. Visitors are asked to bring their own sanitation materials to clean benches and tables.

The golf course on Crescent Bar Island also is open, but state officials have imposed some rules for golf courses, which golfers must follow.

The visitor center at Wanapum Dam, the Wanapum Heritage Center at Priest Rapids Dam, the playground equipment and sports courts at Crescent Bar are still closed. Special events are prohibited at all PUD recreation sites, and reservations are not being accepted for shelters.

Sites were shut down as part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, and people are asked to observe social distancing and sanitation rules. Those include maintaining a distance of six feet, bringing water, soap and hand sanitizer and washing hands frequently; taking garbage when leaving the area; observing posted rules and staying out of closed areas.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at [email protected].

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