Built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, The Dalles Lock and Dam is one of the ten largest hydropower dams in the United States. Since its completion in 1957, it has provided the Pacific Northwest with a reliable water source for hydropower, navigation, recreation, fish passage, irrigation, and flood mitigation. The dam is 192 miles upriver from the mouth of the Columbia River and two miles east of the city of The Dalles, Ore.
Since its construction, the dam has generated more than 9.2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity and passed up to 10 million tons of river cargo annually.
The project consists of a concrete structure with a navigation lock, spillway, gated powerhouse and fish passage facilities. Various recreational facilities are provided along Lake Celilo, the 24-mile-long impoundment behind the dam.