LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has extended the public comment period on a plan to dump dredging material from an area near the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers. The Lewiston Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/XubrzL) that the Walla Walla District extended the comment period about another three weeks to April 30.

Suspended sand and silt drops out of the Snake and Clearwater rivers when flows are slowed by dams. The sediment clogs shipping channels and recreation sites, and reduces the ability of the rivers to contain floodwater. The agency says it wants to dredge more than 470,000 cubic yards of sediment and dump it near Knoxway Canyon, using it to create shallow water habitat for salmon and steelhead.

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