OLDTOWN — Officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced the agency is seeking public comment on its Natural Resource Master Plan for the Albeni Falls Dam on Thursday.

The master plan was last updated in 2018. USACE officials said the plan lacks oversight of key operations, such as lake-level management and fish passage. The comments will build off the two public workshops that the USACE held in Sandpoint and Priest River in 2024. 

The master plan is a strategic document that guides the use and development of the recreational, natural and cultural resources.  

“It covers broad management objectives, helps staff direct project resources to support outdoor recreation and environmental sustainability on public land, and ensures compliance with federal law, policy and regulations,” Nicole Celestine said about the master plan in the press release. 

The USACE’s management of Lake Pend Oreille, which focuses on generating power for the Bonneville Power Administration, natural fish spawning and mitigating flood risk, has been a hot topic in Sandpoint. The county’s Lakes Commission recently ordered a study on the economic impact of the USACE’s management and its effect on the area’s economy. 

In the study's preliminary results, professors at the University of Idaho said uncertainty about the lake level is detrimental to Sandpoint’s tourism. The professors proposed a new approach that would increase certainty and potentially tourism revenue. 

Notably, the professors said they did not consider natural factors such as shoreline erosion or fish habitat, focusing solely on the economic angle. They said the management system will need further study before any decision is made. 

The master plan and draft environmental assessment are online at: www.nws.usace.army.mil/Missions/Environmental/Environmental-Documents/. Residents can submit comments via email to [email protected] until Feb. 27.