Navigation

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ navigation responsibilities are planning and constructing navigation channels, locks and dams, and dredging to maintain channel depths in U.S. harbors and inland waterways. We operate and maintain 25,000 miles of navigable channels and 196 commercial lock and dam sites and are responsible for harbors and waterways in 41 states. In partnership with local port authorities, our personnel oversee dredging and construction projects at hundreds of ports and harbors. Ten of 237 USACE locks are located in Northwestern Division — eight on the Columbia/Snake rivers, one on the Willamette River, and one at Lake Washington in Seattle. The Division also maintains 22 deep draft harbors, 20 shallow draft harbors and more than 1,700 miles of navigable waterways in the Columbia and Missouri basins.

eHydro - USACE Hydrographic Surveys

National Channel Framework Map

Quick Facts

  • Navigable waterways
    • Columbia River Basin - 992 miles
    • Missouri River Basin - 735 miles
    • Total = 14 percent of U.S. inland waterways
  • Transport
    • 5.4 percent of U.S. total waterborne tonnage
    • 140 million tons shipped of total 2.6 billion tons shipped nationwide
  • Locks
    • 10 locks of 237 in USACE
    • Columbia/Snake rivers: 8
    • Willamette River: 1
    • Lake Washington: 1
  • Ports and harbors
    • 22 deep draft (>14 ft.) ports
    • 20 shallow draft harbors
  • Fleet
    • ​18 Work Boats
    • 25 Barges
    • 13 Survey Vessels
    • 4 Tow Boats
    • 1 Debris Vessel
  • Dredging
    • Material dredged: 18.9 million cubic yards
    • Two hopper dredges: Yaquina and Essayons