COLUMBIA & SNAKE RIVERS, Ore. & Wash. -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Portland and Walla Walla districts will close all Corps navigation locks on the Columbia and Snake rivers March 6 at 6 a.m. for regularly-scheduled annual inspections, preventative maintenance and repairs.
Navigation locks on the Columbia River are located at Bonneville Dam at river mile 145, The Dalles Dam at river mile 191, John Day Dam at river mile 216 and McNary Dam at river mile 292. Navigation Locks on the Snake River are located at Ice Harbor Dam at river mile 10, Lower Monumental Dam at river mile 41, Little Goose Dam located at river mile 70 and Lower Granite Dam located at river mile 107.
Corps officials anticipate all Columbia River locks – Bonneville, The Dalles, John Day and McNary – and two Snake River locks – Lower Monumental and Little Goose – will return to service March 21 at 11:59 p.m.
Officials are planning to return Ice Harbor and Lower Granite locks to service by March 28 at 11:59 p.m. The additional days at these locations are necessary to perform non-routine work, which requires more time to complete than the typical two-week-long routine maintenance outage. The non-routine work includes gate cleaning, structural inspections, and equipment/machinery repair and replacement.
In addition, Walla Walla District may temporarily suspend public vehicle crossings at Lower Monumental, Little Goose and/or Lower Granite due to work activity. Crossings are subject to closure at any time, however, the Corps will notify the public in advance of these closures if possible. Travelers in Washington state are strongly encouraged to call 888-DAM-INFO (888-326-4636) for dam-crossing information in advance of their travel.
Recreational vessel owners can find information on boat launches managed by the Walla Walla District at www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation and the Portland District at www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation.
To maintain safe and reliable passage through this valuable navigation system, the Corps coordinates the annually-scheduled lock closures with inland shippers and cruise lines to minimize impacts to lock users. For Walla Walla District navigation lock information and public notices, visit www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation. For Portland District navigation lock information, visit www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation and www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Media/Public-Notices for public notices.
Portland District operates and maintains Bonneville Lock & Dam, The Dalles Lock & Dam and John Day Lock & Dam on the Columbia River. Learn more about Portland District’s lock and dams at www.nwp.usace.army.mil/columbia. Walla Walla District operates and maintains McNary Lock & Dam on the Columbia River and Ice Harbor Lock & Dam, Lower Monumental Lock & Dam, Little Goose Lock & Dam and Lower Granite Lock & Dam on the Snake River. Learn more about Walla Walla District’s lock and dams at www.nww.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Locks-and-Dams.
Together, the Corps’ Portland and Walla Walla districts maintain 465 miles of commercial waterway from the Pacific Ocean to Lewiston, Idaho. The Columbia-Snake inland navigation system provides important benefits to business and the public. Approximately 9 million tons of cargo valued at over $3 billion is barged on the Columbia-Snake river system annually. The navigation system contributes jobs, facilitates import and export trade, and benefits the economy, environment and quality of life in the Pacific Northwest.
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