Judge Throws Out Lawsuit Against Dredging

LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) — A federal judge in Seattle has ruled in favor of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and barging advocates in a case that involved dredging on the Snake and Clearwater rivers.

U.S. District Court Judge James L. Robart said in his Tuesday ruling that the plaintiffs not only were wrong on the merits but lacked standing to bring a lawsuit. The judge also said their complaints were moot and not ripe for a decision.

The Lewiston Tribune reports the plaintiffs included Idaho Rivers United, the Nez Perce Tribe and Friends of the Clearwater. They filed suit in 2014, contending the dredging harmed salmon, steelhead and Pacific lamprey and was not economically justified. They also said the corps failed to consider other options to clear sediment from the navigation channel.