In and effort to preserve and protect more than 500 miles of shoreline along rivers and lakes in Whitman County, several cities and towns joined the county to update their shoreline programs, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology.
Albion, Colfax, Palouse, Tekoa, Rosalia and Whitman County participated in a regional planning process to update their shoreline programs.
They individually submitted their updated programs to the Washington Department of Ecology, which is now making them available for public review and comment.
Each of the cities and towns shared environmental studies and an inventory of current shoreline conditions with the county. The communities’ then tailored portions of their individual shoreline programs to meet local needs.
These shoreline programs will guide construction and development along shorelines, including major portions of the Palouse and Snake rivers and Rock Lake.
Once approved by Ecology, the shoreline programs will become part of the overall state shoreline master program.