Northwestern Division

Columbia River Basin Water Management

This is the home page for the Columbia Basin Water Management Division, Northwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. We are responsible for the Corps' river and reservoir regulation activities in the Columbia River Basin. Please click the icons on the map to learn more about the various projects in the Columbia Basin.

Columbia River

Contact us

Call: 503-808-3929

Water Management Brochure

Basin Map

Full-Screen Map

Columbia River - Image Slider

Juvenile salmon benefit from spring spill

Northwestern Division Published May 8, 2023
In April, the Northwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started spilling water on the Snake and Columbia rivers to help juvenile salmon migrate downstream. We met up with Julie Ammann, Reservoir Control Center chief at Bonneville Lock & Dam to check it out.
A step towards navigable waters: A history of McNary Lock and Dam

By Hannah Mitchell WALLA WALLA DISTRICT CORPS OF ENGINEERS Published March 20, 2023
As people moved into the Pacific Northwest, communities grew around the rivers, especially the Columbia and Snake. Back then, the rivers were temperamental and hard to navigate. However, there was a vision to create a river highway, one that would allow barges to carry cargo from the Pacific Ocean to the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater rivers, 465 miles inland.
Modernizing hydropower on the Snake River

By Hannah Mitchell WALLA WALLA DISTRICT U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS Published April 6, 2022
Hydropower, a clean, renewable and reliable energy source, just became safer for fish and more efficient at generating electricity, thanks to the new turbines at Ice Harbor Lock and Dam on the Snake River in southeast Washington.
Climbers inspect Bonneville Lock's miter gate

By Tom Conning, Public Affairs Office Portland District Published March 11, 2022
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains and assesses the locks along the Columbia and Snake rivers on an annual basis to keep an estimated $23 billion dollars’ worth of commerce flowing.
That sounds fishy: demonized trash fish finally gets some respect

By Tom Conning, Public Affairs Office Portland District Published Oct. 18, 2021
Leaves are changing, the weather is cooling and getting wetter, and Fred Meyer is stocking its shelves with Christmas decorations, which means it’s October. Instead of skipping ahead to winter holidays, let’s fall back and celebrate autumn and Halloween by highlighting a fish that has been demonized in the past, partly for its looks, and partly for our past perceptions of it as a blood-sucking, bottom-feeding trash fish*: the Pacific lamprey.
Containing the Flood of 1996

Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Published Feb. 1, 2021
One of the biggest floods the Portland District faced in the late 20th century occurred in February 1996 and caused millions of dollars in damage to the region. The District played a crucial role in combating this flood 's impact through a variety of short-term and long-term activities.
Containing the Flood of 1996

Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Published Feb. 1, 2021
One of the biggest floods the Portland District faced in the late 20th century occurred in February 1996 and caused millions of dollars in damage to the region. The District played a crucial role in combating this flood 's impact through a variety of short-term and long-term activities.
20-010 Columbia and Snake river navigation locks will close March 7 for annual maintenance

Published March 5, 2020
COLUMBIA & SNAKE RIVERS, Ore. & Wash. – 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 7 at 6 a. m. for regularly scheduled annual inspections, preventative maintenance and repairs.
ISIS, potential dam collapse make deployment memorable

By Tom Conning, Public Affairs Specialist Published May 19, 2017
Richard Benoit, Portland District dive team proponent and program manager, has been deployed for more than a year, first to Afghanistan and now to Iraq. This is his seventh overseas deployment, but his first to the Middle East, where he is serving as the Corps’ dive safety officer and dive safety inspector for the Mosul Dam rehabilitation and repair project.
Corps of Engineers announces extended 2016-2017 Columbia River lock system closure beginning December 2016
The Dalles Dam prepares for emergency lock repairs

Portland District Published Dec. 5, 2012
Portland District personnel are preparing for emergency repairs to one of the downstream miter gates at The Dalles navigation lock between Dec. 5 and Dec. 7.

Columbia River Basin News and Features

Juvenile salmon benefit from spring spill

5/8/2023

In April, the Northwestern Division, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers started spilling water on the Snake and Columbia rivers to help juvenile salmon migrate downstream. We met up with Julie Ammann,...

Water managers begin spring spill to benefit juvenile salmon

4/3/2023

Federal water managers will begin spilling hundreds of thousands of gallons of water over spillways instead of through turbines during annual “spring spill” operations at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’...

A step towards navigable waters: A history of McNary Lock and Dam

3/20/2023

As people moved into the Pacific Northwest, communities grew around the rivers, especially the Columbia and Snake. Back then, the rivers were temperamental and hard to navigate. However, there was a...

Frigid temps increase power demand while Army dams balance needs

3/15/2023

With frigid temperatures and near record-setting snow accumulation in some areas of the Pacific Northwest, Army dams responded by producing power to keep the lights and heat on. The U.S. Army Corps of...

Port managers, Army engineers agree to $2.1 million study

9/6/2022

Leadership from the Ports of Longview and Kalama, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have agreed to fund an estimated $2.1 million study. The study will investigate what changes or improvements...

Columbia River Basin Water Management

Columbia River

External Links

Basin Map

Columbia River - Image Slider

Juvenile salmon benefit from spring spill

A step towards navigable waters: A history of McNary Lock and Dam

Modernizing hydropower on the Snake River

Climbers inspect Bonneville Lock's miter gate

That sounds fishy: demonized trash fish finally gets some respect

Containing the Flood of 1996

Containing the Flood of 1996

20-010 Columbia and Snake river navigation locks will close March 7 for annual maintenance

ISIS, potential dam collapse make deployment memorable

Corps of Engineers announces extended 2016-2017 Columbia River lock system closure beginning December 2016

The Dalles Dam prepares for emergency lock repairs

Columbia River Basin News and Features

Juvenile salmon benefit from spring spill

Water managers begin spring spill to benefit juvenile salmon

A step towards navigable waters: A history of McNary Lock and Dam

Frigid temps increase power demand while Army dams balance needs

Port managers, Army engineers agree to $2.1 million study