U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) officials awarded a $20,395,700 contract on Feb. 26, 2026, to Knight Construction & Supply Inc., to replace all 11 spillway gates at Albeni Falls Dam in Oldtown, Idaho.

The project will ensure continued flood risk management, hydropower generation, navigation, fish and wildlife conservation and recreational opportunities for years to come, according to the USACE.

In 2025, USACE officials said the first replacement gate would arrive in 2027, with construction completed by the early 2030s, according to bonnercountydailybee.com.

Defective steel was found in the existing gates in 2024, limiting the dam operation, according to bonnercountydailybee.com.

USACE also will begin a gradual spring refill of Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, on April 1, managing 2026 summer lake levels within the normal summer elevation band of 2062.0 - 2062.5 ft., as measured near Hope, Idaho.

USACE indicates it is too early to determine the date on which Lake Pend Oreille will reach normal summer levels but expects to achieve this once any major flood risk has subsided, while also considering the current limitations of the spillway gates.

All USACE-managed recreation areas will open as scheduled for the 2026 season. Riley Creek Recreation Area will open for the season on May 9, and Albeni Cove, Priest River and Springy Point Recreation Areas will open on May 16.

USACE representatives will share additional details on the spring refill at an upcoming public meeting on May 7, in Sandpoint, Idaho. Other discussion topics will include restricted operations, spillway gate replacement project updates, recreation area updates and a forecast for snowpack and inflows.