3 Apr 2023

Water managers begin spring spill to benefit juvenile salmon

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’ dams on the lower Snake and Columbia rivers.

15 Mar 2023

Frigid temps increase power demand while Army dams balance needs

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 Engineers has 21 dams in the Columbia and Willamette river basins that ramp up power production to keep the grid stable during high demands.

21 Apr 2021

Spring Spill begins facilitating fish passage at Snake and Columbia river dams

Federal water managers have begun the annual spill of water past hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers to help juvenile salmon and steelhead migrate to the ocean this spring. The spill began April 3 on the lower Snake River and April 10 on the lower Columbia River. Spill for juvenile fish passage helps reduce the proportion of juvenile fish that pass dams through the turbines and helps reduce passage delay at each dam, thereby shortening their travel time through the Snake and Columbia rivers.

3 Dec 2020

Turbine at The Dalles Dam spills up to 200 gallons of oil, Corps deploys booms, skimmers and removes unit from service

On Dec. 3, a thrust hub cooling water pipe broke, spilling up to 200 gallons of oil into the Columbia River at The Dalles Dam. The equipment is part of a fish unit turbine designed to provide attraction water for migrating fish. The Portland District is dedicated to rapid spill responses and is in the process of containing as much oil as possible. The turbine is now isolated from the river.

9 Nov 2020

Corps replaces king piles, part of the “unsung heroes” of navigation

A $2.1 million U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project to replace missing king piles, some of which have been in place since 1885. The project is part of a greater effort to repair pile dikes. In total, 68 new king pile markers sporadically from Puget Island (river mile 41) to Multnomah Falls (river mile 136) will go in.

29 Sep 2020

Federal agencies decide the Columbia River System Operations environmental impact statement balances system purposes

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation and Bonneville Power Administration signed a joint Record of Decision on Monday that commits the agencies to implementing immediate and long-term actions related to the ongoing operations, maintenance and configuration of 14 federal dams that compose the Columbia River System.