Lower Snake River at Chief Timothy Park

SWIMMING IS UNADVISABLE DUE TO HIGH WATER LEVELS AND UNSAFE RUNOFF

Lower Snake River at Chief Timothy Park above Lower Granite Dam near Clarkston, WA. Chief Timothy Park is located 8 miles west of Clarkston on the Snake River in Lower Granite Lake in Asotin County. The park is managed for the Army Corps of Engineers by Northwest Land Management. Opening and closing dates depend on use and weather. The park is open 24 hours per day however the day-use area is closed between 10 pm (or dark) and 6 am. The park features hiking trails, swimming areas, drinking water, and campsites.

As per CampLife, Visitors can see unique geologic features as well as many species of wildlife in the area. The land was once settled by the Nez Perce Tribe, and the park is named after a tribal chief. Campers can also enjoy a short walk to the Listening Circle, a landscape installation designed by the celebrated artist Maya Lin. The campground is spacious and shady, with a well-maintained day-use area as well as a swimming beach, boat launch, and five docks for the convenience of boaters and fishermen. Kayaking or Windsurfing along the waters of the lake are also popular.

Facilities: Closest Parking is 9 miles at Chestnut Park, Public Wheelchair accessible restroom is 0.3 miles from the marked location. The nearby lifeguard is 7.9 miles at an Aquatic center.

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COVID-19

Keep your distance from other people.

Practicing social distancing is still essential. Only go to the beach if you are able to keep 6 feet or 2 meters away from others. Follow the instructions provided by your local health authorities. If your community has asked that you remain indoors and away from others, do so. Spending a day in any crowded place is the worst thing we can do for our most vulnerable right now and will counter our efforts to curb the virus’s spread.

Water Quality

Meets water quality standards
Current Status
This status is based on the latest sample, taken on June 27th, 2022. Snake River Waterkeeper updates the status of this beach as soon as test results become available. These results were posted to Swim Guide on June 27th, 2022 at 11:53 AM.

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Monitoring Frequency

Source Information

There is currently very limited water quality monitoring of Idaho's inland swim sites. The federal Beach Act does not cover freshwater or riverine beaches, and states in the Basin do not monitor Snake River swimming beaches or recreational access sites.

As part of its Water Quality Program, Snake River Waterkeeper monitors water quality at more than 100 sites on the Snake River and its tributaries for temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity/conductivity/total dissolved solids, ammonia, and nitrates. Data are collected at sample sites June-October and assigned safety ratings based on comparison to EPA's Recreational Water Quality Criteria for Human Health:

pH: 5 – 9 µg/L
Salinity/Conductivity/Total Dissolved Solids: 500 mg/L
Nitrates: 10 mg/L

A site is marked Green when single sample results meet all Human Health Criteria.
A site is marked Red when the results are equal to or above Human Health Criteria.
A site is marked Grey when there are no current results or no available information.
Sites found to exceed EPA's Aquatic Health Criteria are noted in site descriptions.

While criteria measured are useful indicators of contamination, there are many other potential sources of pollution that are not reflected in our Swim Guide, including E.coli and other bacteria, heavy metals, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, and pesticides that harm aquatic life.

Download the free app for smartphone and learn about Swim Guide 3.0 at www.theswimguide.org. To learn more about our efforts to protect and restore the Snake River's water quality, visit www.snakeriverwaterkeeper.org.

Water Quality Graph