PORTLAND, Oregon –The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins its winter recreational vessel lock schedule Sept. 16. Recreational boaters may lock past dams on the lower Snake and Columbia rivers almost any time during daylight hours.
The change from scheduled recreational to ‘on-request’ lockages occurs seasonally to accommodate changing volumes of river traffic, according to Corps navigation officials.
During the winter lockage season, which continues through May 14, 2017, recreational vessels may lock through only during daylight hours at Walla Walla and Portland District navigation locks on the Columbia and Snake rivers at these locations:
Portland District
Bonneville Lock and Dam Columbia River Mile 145
The Dalles Lock and Dam Columbia River Mile 191
John Day Lock and Dam Columbia River Mile 216
Walla Walla District
McNary Lock and Dam Columbia River Mile 292
Ice Harbor Lock and Dam Snake River Mile 9.7
Lower Monumental Lock and Dam Snake River Mile 41.6
Little Goose Lock and Dam Snake River Mile 70.3
Lower Granite Lock and Dam Snake River Mile 107.3
Commercial vessels continue to have lockage precedence over recreational vessels. Recreational vessels may be allowed to lock through with commercial vessels at the discretion of the lock operator.
All vessel owner/operators lock through at their own risk. Everyone in the vessel must wear a personal flotation device during lockage. Boaters must follow the directions of the lock operator when using the locks or operating in the vicinity of the locks. The lock operator has final authority regarding the suitability of a craft for lockage.
The Corps of Engineers is planning an extended navigation lock closure beginning December 12, 2016. The 14-week closure will affect all navigation locks operated by the Corps on the Columbia and Snake rivers. The Bonneville navigation lock is scheduled to reopen Feb. 8, 2017; all other Columbia-Snake river navigation locks are expected to resume operations on March 20, 2017. For more information on the FY 17 navigation lock extended outage please visit www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/FY17LockOutage.aspx.
Boaters should refer to navigation notices, “How to Lock Through” instructions and other Corps District navigation lock information available online at Walla Walla District’s website www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation.aspx, or at Portland District’s website www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation.aspx.