B-roll by Amber Tilton of spill operations at John Day Dam, March 28, 2024 After an agreement to stay the Columbia River Basin litigation for up to 10 years, federal water managers will begin spilling more water over basin dams this spring than in past years. This year, four projects on the lower Snake River and McNary Dam on the Columbia River will also begin spilling four hours each day through surface passage routes to primarily assist migrating adult steelhead starting March 1. Beginning March 21, those projects, plus John Day Dam on the Columbia River, will begin spilling through surface passage routes 24 hours each day until regular spring spill begins with the goal of providing additional benefits for both juvenile and adult salmon and steelhead. Video courtesy of Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

USACE train community volunteers how to fill sandbags

Army engineers built Fern Ridge Dam in the 1940’s. It blocks the Long Tom River in central-western Oregon. Fern Ridge reduces flooding and provides irrigation and recreation in its reservoir. Engineers also heavily modified the lower Long Tom River, downstream. Much of the Long Tom's banks are private property, with little maintenance making access problematic. Many areas are steep with thick vegetation. These aspects can make finding places to put in or take out difficult. That makes recreating challenging, especially with other dangers lurking. There are also several low-head dams or drop structures in the river. These structures help with flooding and irrigation but can trap unsuspecting boaters at higher flows with recirculating currents. Because the structures span the width of the river, escape from the currents can be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

USACE Northwest Division Commander, Brig. Gen. Van Epps, visits the emergency control center at the Portland District HQ, where volunteers answer phones and field questions from residents affected by hurricane Ian.

Volunteers at the Portland District's Emergency Call Center process claims for assistance from residents affected by Hurricane Ian.

Volunteers at USACE, Portland District answer phones, field questions and receive information from residents affected by Hurricane Ian

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District, design and supervise Rogue River maintenance dredging at Gold Beach, Ore. on 31 August, 2022. Clamshell dredge contractor: American Construction Co., Inc.

Climbers inspect downstream navigation lock gates during an annual lock outage at Bonneville Dam, Mar. 1, 2022. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District technicians perform annual maintenance on the navigation locks at Bonneville, The Dalles and John Day dams during these outages. The series of locks on the Lower Columbia are a vital piece of transportation infrastructure and the Corps performs maintenance during scheduled outages, which ensure that these systems stay open on a reliable schedule. To maintain safe and reliable passage through this valuable navigation system, the Corps coordinates the annual lock closures with inland shippers and cruise lines to minimize impacts to those users.

Climbers inspect downstream navigation lock gates during an annual lock outage at Bonneville Dam, Mar. 1, 2022. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District technicians perform annual maintenance on the navigation locks at Bonneville, The Dalles and John Day dams during these outages. The series of locks on the Lower Columbia are a vital piece of transportation infrastructure and the Corps performs maintenance during scheduled outages, which ensure that these systems stay open on a reliable schedule. To maintain safe and reliable passage through this valuable navigation system, the Corps coordinates the annual lock closures with inland shippers and cruise lines to minimize impacts to those users.

Mike Pomeroy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers power plant operator, ensured Detroit Dam, east of Salem, Oregon, was in a safe state during the Beachie Creek Fire, September 2020. Pomeroy tried to evacuate but couldn't because of the fire, so he retreated to the dam and hunkered down for more than 30 hours. A year later, he reflects on that experience.

Mike Pomeroy, Foster Dam power plant operator, reflects on his experience at Detroit Dam during the Beachie Creek Fire, Sept. 2020. Pomeroy now works at Foster Dam in Sweet Home, Oregon. Powerplant shift operator Mike Pomeroy reported for duty to Detroit Dam and Powerhouse on Monday evening, September 7, 2020 (Labor Day). He was aware of “red flag” conditions in the forecast – hot, dry weather exacerbating the already high-risk of late summer wildfires in the Oregon Cascades. Conditions became progressively worse through his shift, and county emergency managers made evacuation alerts due to the rapid migration of an existing wildfire (Beachie Fire) on adjacent lands into the N. Santiam River Canyon. By the time Mike had made the plant ready and decided to evacuate, winds were already gusting over 50 mph and the fire was rapidly approaching from the north. He tried to leave but only got a couple of miles down the road in his car. Because of embers, smoke, deadfall, rocks and flames, he could not make his way down the canyon to the east. Additionally, one of his vehicle’s tire went flat. He turned around and went back to Detroit Powerhouse. Fire blocked the roads from the east and the west. Without options to leave, Mike kept the plant in a safe status for the next 30 hours, as no one could get in to relieve him. On Tuesday evening, he noticed the fire approaching his location through security cameras. He put all of the vehicles parked outside into a bay of the plant and closed it. Recognizing the plant might be destroyed in the approaching fire, he went into the 500’ tall concrete dam around 11:30 p.m. Mike stayed the night in the dam while the fire passed over and around the powerhouse. He had no communication from inside the dam, so he waited out the next 8 hours as the fire passed. On Wednesday morning, September 9, he went outside the dam around 8 a.m. and made radio contact with the operator at Lookout Point Dam powerhouse, more than 100 miles away. Enough of the fire had passed and the roadway cleared that Willamette Valley Project staff was able to relieve him with two co-workers. Law enforcement and fire officials escorted the new operators and assessment crew into the still dangerous evacuation area.

Pacific lampreys pass through Bonneville Lock & Dam using fish ladders and special ramp-like lamprey passage structures (seen here through viewing windows at the Bradford Island Visitor’s Center). This video is from various visits in the summer of 2021. Pacific lampreys belong to a primitive group of fishes that are eel-like in form but lack the jaws and paired fins of true fishes. Pacific lampreys have a round sucker-like mouth, no scales and gill openings. Identification of lampreys depends largely on the number, structure and position of teeth found in adult lamprey. (USACE videos by Kerry Solan and Chris Gaylord)

Big Bertha Dredge Placement.

DEA 35 - National Preservation Month.

Imagery of Detroit Dam from drone flights.

Corps contractors monitor screw traps downstream of Cougar and Big Cliff dams, May 28, 2021. The water flow turns a large screw creating hydraulics, which keeps small fish from escaping the trap. These traps are collecting juvenile salmon after they pass through Lookout Point, Cougar and Big Cliff dams. We’ve changed operations at these dams to help with downstream fish passage – or that’s the goal. These traps will give us insight into how well we’re doing.

Corps contractors monitor screw traps downstream of Cougar and Big Cliff dams, May 28, 2021. The water flow turns a large screw creating hydraulics, which keeps small fish from escaping the trap. These traps are collecting juvenile salmon after they pass through Lookout Point, Cougar and Big Cliff dams. We’ve changed operations at these dams to help with downstream fish passage – or that’s the goal. These traps will give us insight into how well we’re doing.

Technicians inspecting the navigation lock at The Dalles Dam found cracking in the downstream miter gate during an annual inspection March 10, 2021. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials believe vibration, improper sealing and gate misalignment likely caused the damage. The damage and repairs will extend the navigation lock outage until April 1, 2021 at 5:00 p.m. Portland and Walla Walla districts were in the middle of a planned, system-wide lock outage of all the locks on the Columbia and Snake rivers, which was originally scheduled for March 6-21, 2021. “This is why we have annual outages and inspections for the system of locks within Portland and Walla Walla districts,” said Ross Foster, Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project manager. “We’re grateful we identified this issue now, as opposed to a different part of the year where closing the lock would have a larger impact on river traffic.” “We understand the critical importance these locks have on commerce moving along the Columbia River,” said Kevin Brice, Portland District deputy district engineer. “We’re going to do everything we can to reopen the locks to river traffic as soon as possible. The importance of this vital transportation corridor is not lost on us and our main goal is to minimize impacts on river users.” 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.

Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers installs king piles at the end of pile dikes at Kalama, Wash. along the Columbia River, Oct. 26, 2020. Repairing missing safety markers is the first priority for pile dike maintenance. We recently received pile dike maintenance funds and we began maintenance work on October 5, 2020. These repairs are important for boater safety. The tops of Corps pile dikes in the Columbia River are frequently just below the river surface during high water events and can seriously damage vessels trying to transit over them. Many pile dikes are missing the tall king piles, which increase visibility to boaters. We're partnered with the U.S. Coast Guard and boating safety groups to improve safe navigation around pile dikes and increase public awareness.

An engineering team inspected Big Cliff and Detroit dams on Sept. 22, 2020 to assess, in detail, the impacts of wildfire to the dams and reservoirs. The dams didn't sustain serious damage to either facility during the fires. Portland District has work to do in preparation of the upcoming flood seasons to increase its resiliency and ensure safe access to and operations of our projects. This water year could be unpredictable. The District is concerned about water coming into the system and how that will impact normal operations. Officials will continue making assessments, modeling and monitoring inflows. It's important to remember the Corps cannot prevent floods. Wildfire has changed the landscapes around the watershed and engineers are working to better understand those changes; therefore, officials will increase monitoring of flood events over the next several flood seasons.

Various footage of The Dalles Lock & Dam located on the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington.

Video shows destruction at Minto Adult Fish Collection Facility; Detroit Dam interview and account from Mike Pomeroy, power plant operator, who sheltered-in-place at the dam; destruction in downtown Detroit. Imagery shows the destruction in the North Santiam Canyon, near Detroit Dam from the Bechie Fire, Sept. 15, 2020

Imagery for media of Detroit Dam in Oregon.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed dredged material placement at Pancake Point on Puget Island in Washington, Sept. 12, 2020. The project provided beach nourishment to an approximately 3000-foot stretch of shoreline on the Washington side of the Columbia River.

Three members of Congress and lots of heavy equipment joined Pacific Northwest Waterways Association, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Coast Guard leaders here Monday to celebrate the completion of the Mouth of the Columbia River North Jetty and Jetty A rehabilitation projects, and the start of work on the South Jetty rehabilitation project. As heavy cranes, trucks and excavators moved and placed massive 40-ton stones on the 6.6-mile South Jetty in the background, U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden (OR), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1) and Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-3) joined PNWA President David Harlan and Executive Director Kristin Meira, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Portland District Commander Col. Michael Helton, and U.S. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River Commander Capt. Jeremy Smith in emphasizing the importance of jetties to ensure navigation at the mouth of the Columbia River is safe and efficient. The jetties support the economy of our region and the entire country. Over 56 million tons of cargo valued at roughly $21 billion move through the Lower Columbia River annually, and thousands of Pacific Northwest jobs are dependent on this trade. The Columbia Snake River System is the nation’s largest wheat export gateway, second in the nation for corn and soy exports, and tops on the West Coast for wood and mineral exports.

Episode 1: Mouth of the Columbia River Jetty System Dams et al is a weekly burst of news about the Portland District and its people, projects, facilities and, you guessed it, dams. Although we’re a bit cheeky about the delivery, the information in each episode is real. I guess Portland is just rubbing off on us. Remember, you keep Portland weird, we’ll keep it engineered.

Water safety experts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The Corps Foundation and the Oregon State Marine Board talk about water safety and recreation during the time of COVID-19. We share why we care about you in this video! Drowning does not discriminate. Always wear your life jacket!

Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cancelled this year’s Retiree Luncheon out of concern for the safety and well-being of all involved amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Normally, we also celebrate the selection of the Distinguished Civilian during the luncheon. This year, the District is recognizing Mr. Steve Stockton as the Distinguished Civilian for 2020 with this video. Steve made a lasting impact on the Portland District and the Corps that merits recognition for his incredible achievements during more than 41 years of service. The Portland District’s Distinguished Civilian Service Award is the District’s highest award given to career Department of Defense civilian employees whose careers reflect exceptional devotion to duty. Saying thank you for what Steve has accomplished including the profound legacy he left seems like a gross understatement. Steve set our Planning and Engineering Division up for long-term success, strengthening our ability to deliver vital civil works resources throughout the Pacific Northwest. We are proud to call you a Portland District Distinguished Civilian Employee.

The South Jetty Initial stone placement was on June 1, 2020 and will continue through September. This $140 million rehabilitation project was awarded in Aug. 2019 and will continue through Fiscal Year 24. As of June 30, 14 percent of the approximately 400,000 tons of jetty stone has been delivered to South Jetty from the Drake Quarry (Astoria, OR) and Central Oregon Basalt quarry (Madras, OR); and approximately 2,400 tons have been placed.

Salmon migrate up the Columbia River, between Washington and Oregon states, June 19, 2020. These fish are passing by a "fish window" at Bonneville Lock and Dam, which the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland district built and still operates. Bonneville was the first federal lock and dam on the Columbia and Snake rivers. The project’s first powerhouse, spillway and original navigation lock were completed in 1938 to improve navigation on Columbia River and provide hydropower to the Pacific Northwest. A second powerhouse was completed in 1981, and a larger navigation lock in 1993. Today, the project is a critical part of the water resource management system that provides flood risk management, power generation, water quality improvement, irrigation, fish and wildlife habitat and recreation along the Columbia River.

Who: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District What: Fall Creek Adult Fish Collection Facility dedication Where: Fall Creek Dam, Middle Fork Willamette sub-basin – near Lowell, Oregon When: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. May 23, 2019 B-roll includes: Grande Ronde & Siletz tribal blessing ceremony, cake cutting and fish facility tour. Why: The Fall Creek Adult Fish Collection Facility represents a successful piece of Portland District’s implementation of the 2008 Willamette Biological Opinion. The Corps completed construction, commissioned and fully operated this facility starting in March 2018. This new facility replaced an antiquated one that did not meet fish passage criteria, and the Corps predicts it will increase the likelihood of Spring Chinook recovery for Fall Creek and for the Willamette Valley as a whole. Fall Creek is an important tributary in the Middle Fork Willamette Sub-basin, because it typically sustains populations of naturally reproducing Spring Chinook at or near levels of historic abundance. Fall Creek also acts as important habitat for Pacific lamprey, winter steelhead, native resident fish species, native plants and native wildlife resources.

On May 23, 2019, we dedicated our new adult fish collection facility at Fall Creek Dam. This new facility replaced an antiquated one that did not meet fish passage criteria, and the Corps predicts it will increase the likelihood of Spring Chinook recovery for Fall Creek and for the Willamette Valley as a whole.

The Corps has built or rebuilt adult fish collection facilities on several Willamette River tributaries, including the north and south Santiam rivers, Fall Creek and the McKenzie River. Fish migrate to these facilities where Corps staff can collect them and transport them up above the dams so they can reproduce.

Bobber, the water safety dog, reminds viewers to wear their life vests when recreating on the water. This is a spoof of a viral social media video.

During the rainy season, potentially disastrous flooding is managed by storing water in the reservoirs behind the dams. During the summer, water levels in the reservoirs are maintained as high as possible to provide for reservoir water-related recreation opportunities. However, this is a difficult balancing act. In the drier summer and fall months when rivers are at low levels, stored water is released from the dams to improve water quality and conditions for fish.

The Willamette Valley project has a complicated mission balancing flood risk management needs as well as reservoir recreation expectations. We do this by following a “rule cure” (this generally tells us what the reservoir level should be at any given time of the year). Often, we field questions about if we’ll be able to have a full pool during any given season. Well, it’s complicated and we don’t control all of the factors.

The Corps and its partners conducted controlled ecological burns at several locations in the Willamette Valley this fall. This burn was near Dorena Reservoir. Partners for the burns included the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. We use burns to manage and restore natural areas. Burns also benefit plant and animal communities, particularly endangered plants and butterflies (Fenders Blue butterflies and Bradshaw's Lomatium), and oak and prairie habitat. Experienced and highly-trained fire crews manage these burns using detailed burn plans, which provide maximum protection for the community. The Lane Regional Air Protection Agency reviews and approves the plans and specifies the conditions the burns can proceed.

Time lapse video taken during excavation and construction of a new culvert for salmon passage at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge. Project was completed with City of Portland, Bureau of Environmental Service and Portland Parks and Recreation.

The Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office has provided more than 250,000 sandbags to Seattle District to assist in flood fighting efforts in Washington, Idaho and Montana. Portland District has also sent emergency management employees to lend technical assistance to local authorities regarding levee erosion and construction work. Warm temperatures combined with above-normal snow levels have created a situation in which Pend Oreille River flows downstream of Albeni Falls Dam are likely to remain above flood stage through the 10-day forecast period and beyond. Flows on the Pend Oreille River and Lake Pend Oreille are now forecasted to meet or possibly exceed 2011 levels. Congress has authorized the Corps to provide supplemental assistance to local flood fight efforts when rivers are at or above flood stage, after local officials request assistance and when they have fully used their local resources. Private citizens seeking sandbags should contact their local government offices. The Corps coordinates closely with the National Weather Service. The Weather Service issues flood watches and warnings and should be consulted for that information.