Portland District, US Army Corps of Engineers

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US Army Corps of Engineers

Portland District Website

A shambled wooden pier looms over the coastline.

Guarding the graveyard, Part 1: Coast Guard calls for USACE support

While the American West may be considered largely tamed, the Pacific Ocean and the rivers that feed into it remain feral, unpredictable, and an opportunistic scavenger for even highly trained mariners. No other location in the Pacific Northwest boasts a more brutal body of water than the aptly named Cape Disappointment.

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Drought, drawdown at Detroit reservoir: Top 5 questions answered

This summer, visitors to and residents near Detroit Reservoir are noticing lower-than-average water levels.

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A wide-angle, black-and-white historical photograph from 1935 showing the Bonneville Dam during its construction. The vast concrete structure is covered in extensive wooden scaffolding and formwork, with exposed rebar visible throughout. The foreground is a dirt construction site with piles of lumber and materials, while the steep, forested mountains of the Columbia River Gorge rise in the background.

The 1935 Construction of a National Historic Landmark

Bonneville Dam is shown during construction on March 4, 1935. The Bonneville Lock and Dam, built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, was the first federal lock and dam on the Columbia and Snake rivers.

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Detroit Dam, east of Salem, Ore. impounds water from the North Santiam River. Its large storage reservoir allows downstream users to have a consistent amount of water year-round but especially during long, hot summers and droughts. According to public scoping comments from city of Salem officials during a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Draft Environmental Impact Statement (page 246) for downstream fish passage at Detroit Dam, the city’s intake for drinking water needs 750 cubic feet per second to operate (as of August 9, the combined tributaries of the North Santiam and Little North Santiam rivers were providing 413 cubic feet per second of water). (U.S. Army photo by Todd Manny)

USACE Announces Operational Updates for Willamette Valley Dams

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Portland District, has finalized its plan for operating the Willamette Valley’s 13 federal dams by executing a Record of Decision (ROD).

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Material dredged from the Lower Columbia River Federal Navigation Channel is graded following shoreline placement to assist in habitat creation.

New 20-year plan finalized to manage Columbia River dredged material

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, has finalized a 20-year plan to maintain the lower Columbia River’s deep-draft navigation channel, a critical artery for the nation’s economy.

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Image of people in canoes on a body of water approaching the shoreline.

A historical overview of the Coos Bay North Jetty

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) announces the availability of a new, comprehensive historical manuscript detailing the cultural, maritime, and engineering history of the Coos Bay North Jetty on the Oregon coast. The document is now available to the public and researchers via the USACE Digital Library.

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Image of a jetty protruding out from the coast line into the ocean.

People, Peril and Perseverance: The Enduring Legacy of the Coos Bay North Jetty

The early 1800s heralded a period of immense change for the Coos Bay area with the arrival of its first non-Indigenous people: fur traders seeking fortune and military expeditions charting the new frontier. The discovery of gold and coal along Oregon’s southern coast in the 1850s intensified the rush of land speculation that followed.

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News

Guarding the graveyard, Part 1: Coast Guard calls for USACE support

9/12/2026

While the American West may be considered largely tamed, the Pacific Ocean and the rivers that feed into it remain feral, unpredictable, and an opportunistic scavenger for even highly trained...

Drought vs. drawdown at Detroit reservoir: Top 5 questions answered

7/28/2026

This summer, visitors to and residents near Detroit Reservoir are noticing lower-than-average water levels...

The simply written stories of the complicated Bonneville Dam safety classification: Bonneville Dam is really complicated

7/27/2026

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a series of news commentaries on the Bonneville Dam safety reclassification. In this edition, the author will explain the basis of the reclassification, with future...

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Public Notices

Draft Environmental Assessment for Yaquina River Operations and Maintenance Dredging

8/17/2026

Interested parties are hereby notified that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (USACE) proposes to perform maintenance dredging of the Yaquina River Federal Navigation Channel (FNC)...

FONSI and Final EA: U.S. Moorings Dredge Fleet Facility Maintenance Building Upgrades and Replacements

8/13/2026

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (USACE) has conducted an environmental analysis in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended...

Finding of No Significant Impact - Cottonwood Island Pile Dikes Final EA

6/18/2026

Finding of No Significant Impact - Cottonwood Island Pile Dikes Final EA announced...

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