Columbia-Snake River navigation locks to close for annual maintenance in March

PORTLAND, ORE. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will close navigation locks at dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers in March to conduct annual inspections, repairs and maintenance.

Portland District’s Bonneville, The Dalles and John Day navigation locks at Columbia River miles 145, 191 and 216, respectively, will close March 2 at 6 a.m. and reopen March 16 at 11:59 p.m.  The closure allows employees to perform preventative maintenance and minor repairs to major lock systems like gates, valves, pumps and electrical gear.

The Corps coordinates these annual closures with inland shippers and cruise lines to achieve minimal impact to the various industries that use the locks.

The Corps’ Portland and Walla Walla districts maintain the commercial navigation route from the Pacific Ocean inland 465 miles to Lewiston, Idaho.  The Columbia-Snake navigation system is vital to the economic health of the Pacific Northwest.  The system accommodated an average of 17.5 million short tons of cargo annually from 1999 to 2008, according to the Corps’ Waterborne Commerce Statistics Center.