The Dalles lock set to open after emergency repairs

The Dalles Lock and Dam navigation lock will return to service March 31 at 6:30 a.m. Technicians are finalizing repairs on cracking engineers found in the downstream miter gate during annual inspections. This return to service is 36 hours earlier than officials initially predicted.

The Corps will hold its final virtual repair and outage status update, Monday, March 29 at 2:30 p.m.

The Dalles navigation lock, completed in 1957, is 650 feet long and is 86 feet wide. On an average day, around six commercial vessels pass through the lock.

Portland District locks on the Columbia River pass 10 million of the 50.5 million tons of commerce shipped annually in the nation. Navigation is Portland District’s oldest mission, dating back to 1871.

The Columbia River is the number one U.S. export gateway for wheat and barley, the number two U.S. export gateway for corn and soy, and the number one U.S. export gateway for West Coast mineral bulk. The Columbia River system is also a national leader for wood exports and auto imports and exports. As far as tourism dollars go, approximately 15,000 passengers a year go through on cruise ships, which accounts for $15 to 20 million in revenue for local economies.

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Editor’s note: Portland District will host a final call on Monday, March 29 at 2:30 p.m. to provide updates to repairs and outage status.

Call in and WebEx information is: https://usace1.webex.com/meet/ross.foster.

Teleconference: (844) 800-2712

Meeting Number: 199 861 3079

Security Code: 1234 (if required)