About the Portland District

Depiction of the skyline of downtown Portland, Ore.

The Portland District was established in 1871 and 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 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.

The Portland District is proud to host three Centers of Expertise: Hydroelectric Design Center, Roller Compacted Concrete, and Welding and Metallurgy. 

Leadership

Military command of the District is made up of the District Commander and Deputy District Commander. The Portland District Commander also serves as the District Engineer. Civilian oversight for the District is provided by the Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management.

Commander
and District Engineer

Deputy Commander

Deputy District Engineer

for Programs and Project Management
Photo of District Commander Photo of Deputy Commander Photo of Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management
Col. Larry "Dale" Caswell, Jr.
Lt. Col. Kathryn A. Werback
Elizabeth (Liza) Wells
Biography Biography Biography

Our Mission

The dedicated people of the Portland District provide vital public engineering services to the Pacific Northwest and the Nation during peace and war to strengthen our security, promote a strong economy, and enhance environmental sustainability. We will accomplish this by our commitment to the Army and the Nation by:

  • Improving and maintaining navigation for economic development and safety
  • Preventing and reducing flood damage
  • Restoring, enhancing and maintaining ecosystems
  • Generating reliable and efficient hydropower
  • Regulating activities in wetlands and waterways
  • Supporting combat, stability and disaster operations through forward deployed and reach-back capabilities
  • Providing Corps-wide expertise in hydroelectric planning and engineering
  • Providing safe and healthful recreational opportunities for the public