O & M Facilities Heliport

The heliport was closed due to a change in operational requirements and procedures by its owner, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). The decommissioning was likely an administrative and cost-saving measure, reflecting that a dedicated, permanently registered heliport at the site was no longer considered essential for the dam's operations. The closure was not the result of an accident, environmental issue, or military conversion, as it was already a military (USACE) affiliated facility.

The site of the former heliport is now an unmarked, paved lot that is part of the general vehicle parking and equipment staging area for the Lower Granite Dam's operations and maintenance facility. The land remains under the control of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. While helicopters could likely still land in the area for specific missions if required, it is no longer a formally designated or marked heliport.

The O & M (Operations and Maintenance) Facilities Heliport was a private-use heliport. Its sole function was to support the activities of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at the Lower Granite Lock and Dam on the Snake River. Operations would have included transporting personnel for inspections, moving specialized light equipment, conducting aerial surveys of the dam and river, and providing a staging point for emergency response or search-and-rescue missions in the remote canyon area. It was an integral, though small, piece of the logistical infrastructure for managing a major federal dam.

There are no known or published plans to reopen or re-certify the heliport. Its closure appears to be permanent, linked to a long-term change in the operational strategy and needs of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the dam. Reopening would require a significant and sustained new operational requirement, which is highly unlikely.