Bird's-eye view of Bonneville Dam, a National Historic Landmark, featuring the dam's main spillway, powerhouse, and navigation locks, set amidst the scenic Columbia River Gorge.

Bonneville Lock & Dam

Bonneville Lock & Dam, built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 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 1982, and a larger navigation lock in 1993. 

Today, the project is a critical part of the water resource management system that power generation, navigation, water quality improvement, fish and wildlife habitat including fish passage and recreation along the Columbia River.

A Public Works Administration project of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal, portions of Bonneville Lock and Dam Project were declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
 

Contact us
Visitor Center and tours:
541-374-8820

Fish counts: www.fpc.org
(Counts are updated daily April - October)

Email Bonneville Dam

Contact the Lock Operators

Lock   Phone   VHF-FM
Bonneville   541-374-8323   WUJ 33
The Dalles   541-506-8212   WUJ 34
John Day   541-298-9712   WUJ 35
 

National Historic Landmark

Bonneville’s significance is based on the Colonial-Revival style architecture of the administration building and auditorium, the unique engineering design, the contribution to the region’s industrial development, the lock’s role in transportation, the entrance landscaping, and the role of Bonneville as a major government undertaking in the 1930s to provide jobs during the Great Depression.

Bonneville Lock and Dam is named for Army Captain Benjamin Bonneville, an early day visionary who led an exploration to the Oregon Country and charted extensive sections of what became the Oregon Trail.

Hydropower

Bonneville Lock & Dam is one of three hydroelectric power plants operated by the Portland District along the Columbia River. The dam generates enough electricity to power approximately 900,000 homes, or a city the size of Portland, Ore.

 

 1st powerhouse length 1027 ft 313 m
 Generators/total output ten 660 mw
 2nd powerhouse length 986 ft 300.5 m
 Generators/total output eight 558 mw

Navigation

Our first mission, eliminating impediments to navigation on the Pacific Northwest's rivers, dates back to 1871.

A navigation lock was built during the original construction of Bonneville Dam. A larger lock was constructed in 1993, in a comparable size to the seven other locks on the 465 mile Columbia-Snake River Inland Waterway.


Spillway length 1,450 ft 442 m
  -gates 18
  -reservoir above downstream side 60 ft 18.3 m
Navigation lock length 676 ft 206 m
 -width 85 ft 25.9 m
Max. lift 90 ft 27.4 m
Avg. transit time 30 min.

*National Geodetic Vertical Datum 
(Mean Sea Level)

Navigation Lock

The visitor center at the Navigation Lock is open seasonally, from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.  This visitor center offers exhibits and videos demonstrating the value of river commerce to the economy of Oregon and Washington.  Visitors can see the navigation lock in operation when commercial or recreational boats are using the lock. There is no set schedule of when boats pass through the lock.

Directions: Take I-84 to exit 40, approximately four miles west of Cascade Locks, Oregon. At the flag pole intersection, bear right.  Enter the Navigation Lock Visitor Area parking lot just past the guard station as the road veers to the left.  

Visitor centers at Bonneville Lock & Dam

Two visitor centers, one on Bradford Island in Oregon and one on the Washington shore, are open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Visitors centers are closed on Thanksgiving Day and December 24th through January 1st) A third visitor center is open seasonally for limited hours at the navigation lock. Located just 40 miles from downtown Portland in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge, Bonneville Lock & Dam provides fun, educational opportunities for all visitors.

A team of rangers and volunteers staff are available to answer questions and share information about the significance of this icon of the Pacific Northwest.

A word of caution: Bonneville Dam is an active hydro-electric power plant. There may be times when portions of the visitor areas will be inaccessible by the public. These closures may come with little or no warning. We appreciate your patience during these temporary closures and will provide advance warning as early as possible.

Wheelchairs are available to checkout upon request with a driver's license. 

Bradford Island Visitor Center

Image of the entrance of the Bradford Island Visitors Center.At the Bradford Island Visitor Center, visitors can see how nature, technology, and humans intersect. Visitors learn about the cultural history of the region, dam construction, the development of navigation along the Columbia River, and the life-cycles of salmon and Pacific lamprey. 

Come enjoy seasonal views of migrating fish through underwater windows that allow you to peer into the fish ladder. A rooftop observation deck provides a panoramic view of the Columbia River Gorge. 

Directions: Take exit 40, I-84, four miles west of Cascade Locks, Oregon. At the flag pole intersection, bear right. After stopping at the guard station, cross the navigation lock and past Powerhouse One. Follow the signs for about one mile to the visitor center. The large parking lot accommodates buses and recreational vehicles.
 

Washington Shore Visitor Complex

night view of the Washington Shore Visitor Center at Bonneville Lock and DamInside the Visitor Orientation Building and the adjacent Fish Viewing Building are exhibits that focus on the fundamentals of electricity and the importance of hydroelectric dams to the region. Visitors can also learn about the natural and cultural history of the surrounding areas and the importance of salmon. This visitor complex offers an easily accessible view of the powerhouse. Generators can be viewed from an area 85 feet above the powerhouse floor.

Self-Guided Tours: A self-guided tour booklet is available at the front desk of the Visitor Orientation Building. This self-guided experience guides visitors through the Washington Shore Visitor Complex while explaining its role in power generation for the Pacific Northwest, fish passage and geology. Formal ranger lead tours are not being offered at this time.   

Directions: Take Washington State Highway 14 to milepost 38.5. Turn south (toward the river) onto the Dam Access Road, about a half mile east of the town of North Bonneville. Turn left at the first stop sign, following the signs to the visitor complex.
 

Getting around

Map of Bonneville Lock & Dam