Portland District celebrates 150 years of service

Oregon’s Gov. Kate Brown and Secretary of State Shemia Fagan announce April 17, 2021 as “Portland District USACE Day” in a proclamation.

The proclamation in part, states, “the District has contributed immensely to the development, prosperity, and general wellbeing of the state of Oregon through improvements to navigational waterways, operations to reduce the risk of flooding to our communities, and efforts to lead the nation in hydropower generation.”

U.S. Army Maj. Henry Robert set up an office in downtown Portland in 1871 to address the growing importance of the Columbia and Willamette rivers as navigational waterways. Since then, the District has evolved tremendously as an organization but continued serving the Pacific Northwest and the nation for the past 150 years.

“We’re grateful to the Governor’s Office for recognizing the Portland District’s contributions to the great state of Oregon,” said Col. Michael Helton, Portland District commander. “We’re proud of our storied history and excited about our opportunity to continue to make a difference for the people we serve.”

The Portland District has one of the nation's most comprehensive and diversified civil works programs. Covering most of Oregon and southwestern Washington, the District operates locks and dams along the Columbia River, operates dams in the Willamette Valley and Rogue River Basin for flood risk management, maintains Oregon's coastal rivers for navigation and leads the Nation in hydropower generation, all while ensuring equal attention to environmental protection and restoration, fish and wildlife enhancement and recreation.

To learn more about the last 150 years of Portland District’s history visit https://youtu.be/_Gk-jK0IOHc.

- 30 –