The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Portland and Walla Walla districts will close all Corps navigation locks on the Columbia and Snake rivers March 6 at 6 a.m. for regularly-scheduled annual inspections, preventative maintenance and repairs.
Navigation locks on the Columbia River are located at Bonneville Dam at river mile 145, The Dalles Dam at river mile 191, John Day Dam at river mile 216 and McNary Dam at river mile 292. Navigation Locks on the Snake River are located at Ice Harbor Dam at river mile 10, Lower Monumental Dam at river mile 41, Little Goose Dam located at river mile 70 and Lower Granite Dam located at river mile 107.
Corps officials anticipate all Columbia River locks – Bonneville, The Dalles, John Day and McNary – and two Snake River locks – Lower Monumental and Little Goose – will return to service March 21 at 11:59 p.m.
Officials are planning to return Ice Harbor and Lower Granite locks to service by March 28 at 11:59 p.m. The additional days at these locations are necessary to perform non-routine work, which requires more time to complete than the typical two-week-long routine maintenance outage. The non-routine work includes gate cleaning, structural inspections, and equipment/machinery repair and replacement.
In addition, Walla Walla District may temporarily suspend public vehicle crossings at Lower Monumental, Little Goose and/or Lower Granite due to work activity. Crossings are subject to closure at any time, however, the Corps will notify the public in advance of these closures if possible. Travelers in Washington state are strongly encouraged to call 888-DAM-INFO (888-326-4636) for dam-crossing information in advance of their travel.
Recreational vessel owners can find information on boat launches managed by the Walla Walla District at www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation and the Portland District at www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation
To maintain safe and reliable passage through this valuable navigation system, the Corps coordinates the annually-scheduled lock closures with inland shippers and cruise lines to minimize impacts to lock users. For Walla Walla District navigation lock information and public notices, visit www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation
For Portland District navigation lock information, visit www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation
Portland District operates and maintains Bonneville Lock & Dam, The Dalles Lock & Dam and John Day Lock & Dam on the Columbia River. Learn more about Portland District’s lock and dams at www.nwp.usace.army.mil/columbia. Walla Walla District operates and maintains McNary Lock & Dam on the Columbia River and Ice Harbor Lock & Dam, Lower Monumental Lock & Dam, Little Goose Lock & Dam and Lower Granite Lock & Dam on the Snake River. Learn more about Walla Walla District’s lock and dams at www.nww.usace.army.mil/Locations/District-Locks-and-Dams.
Together, the Corps’ Portland and Walla Walla districts maintain 465 miles of commercial waterway from the Pacific Ocean to Lewiston, Idaho. Approximately 9 million tons of cargo valued at over $3 billion is barged on the Columbia-Snake river system annually.
In another maintenance matter, Oregon Sens. Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, along with Oregon’s U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer, Kurt Schrader, and Suzanne Bonamici , are pushing the U.S. Office of Management and Budget to provide the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with annual funding for maritime infrastructure maintenance “crucial to public safety and the vitality of economies up and down the Oregon Coast and throughout the Columbia River system.”
“Oregon’s 23 public ports are a key component in sustaining Oregon’s economy and quality of life, including in our state’s most rural areas. Oregon’s ports support tens of thousands of family-wage jobs that are directly or indirectly tied to cargo movement, as well as recreation, industrial, commercial, and other activities that contribute billions of dollars in wages to Oregon’s economy,” the lawmakers wrote. “In addition, Oregon ports support the activities of Federal agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Coast Guard. None of this would be possible without adequate funding to maintain jetty infrastructure and conduct dredging operations. This funding is especially important in light of the economic and health care crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of America’s ports are struggling, and this pain is only made worse when money is not provided for dredging and jetty maintenance.
“This funding is needed on an annual basis. Oregon’s ports are heavily impacted by severe Pacific storm fronts and strong fluvial runoff that inundate federal navigation channels with sediment and damage jetty infrastructure every year. When federal navigation channels are not dredged by the Corps, Oregon’s ports cannot fulfill their economic development mission, and the communities in which they are located suffer. Similarly, jetties up and down the coast lose critical length every year, which undermines the jetties’ primary function, protecting navigation channels. The deterioration of these jetties also puts billions of dollars of current and future federal and non-federal investments at risk and threatens tens of thousands of jobs,” the lawmakers continued.
In light of the impacts of poorly maintained jetties, the lawmakers fought to unlock billions of dollars in harbor maintenance tax revenue to combat jetty deterioration through the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020. To continue the mission, the lawmakers requested that President Biden’s budget for the 2022 fiscal year include adequate funding for Corps navigation projects along the Oregon Coast and Columbia River system, and that the Office of Management and Budget maximize the Corps’ capability for Oregon projects.
The full text of the letter:
Dear Acting Director Fairweather:
As you develop President Biden’s first budget request to Congress, we encourage you to include adequate funding for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) navigation projects along the Oregon Coast and within the Columbia River system. This funding will ensure the maintenance of essential navigation and maritime infrastructure that supports economic activity and preserves life and safety in our state.
Oregon’s 23 public ports are a key component in sustaining Oregon’s economy and quality of life, including in our State’s most rural areas. Oregon’s ports support tens of thousands of family-wage jobs that are directly or indirectly tied to cargo movement, as well as recreation, industrial, commercial, and other activities that contribute billions of dollars in wages to Oregon’s economy. In addition, Oregon ports support the activities of Federal agencies such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Coast Guard. None of this would be possible without adequate funding to maintain jetty infrastructure and conduct dredging operations. This funding is especially important in light of the economic and health care crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of America’s ports are struggling, and this pain is only made worse when money is not provided for dredging and jetty maintenance.
This funding is needed on an annual basis. Oregon’s ports are heavily impacted by severe Pacific storm fronts and strong fluvial runoff that inundate federal navigation channels with sediment and damage jetty infrastructure every year. When federal navigation channels are not dredged by the Corps, Oregon’s ports cannot fulfill their economic development mission, and the communities in which they are located suffer. Similarly, jetties up and down the coast lose critical length every year, which undermines the jetties’ primary function, protecting navigation channels. The deterioration of these jetties also puts billions of dollars of current and future federal and non-federal investments at risk and threatens tens of thousands of jobs.
While Oregon’s coastal and river economy is directly tied to funding for dredging and jetty maintenance, we can’t lose sight of the fact that this is also a public safety issue. Sediment build-up in the federal channels and the continuing deterioration of jetties create very dangerous situations for mariners. We have seen firsthand how a lack of funding for these projects not only puts mariners in harm’s way, but also impedes the U.S. Coast Guard’s ability to carry out search and rescue missions. It is not hyperbole to say this is a life and death issue. While recent Corps work plans have included critical funding for jetty projects in Oregon, additional money is needed to ensure these important projects can be completed.
Fortunately, the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2020, which we worked very hard to get through Congress and have signed into law, unlocks billions of dollars in harbor maintenance tax (HMT) revenue that can be used for these purposes. With that in mind, we hope the President’s FY22 budget request will include adequate funding for Corps navigation projects along the Oregon Coast and within the Columbia River system, and that OMB will maximize the Corps’ capability for Oregon projects.
Sincerely,