Recreation closures impacting Walla Walla District sites
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District's Dworshak Dam, is shown where a flooded turbine bay, future location of the dam's fourth generating unit, is assessed during the first flooding of the bay in 50 years. This flooding was part of initial design work to test draft tube bulkheads and assess how the space could be converted into an operating hydropower unit.
On July 10, 2025, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, celebrated the 3,200-feet-long Lower Granite Lock and Dam’s 50 years of service to the Pacific Northwest along with the generations of people who made it possible. Lower Granite Lock and Dam, located on the Snake River in southeastern Washington, includes a dam, navigation lock, powerhouse, fish ladder, and associated facilities. The project provides hydropower, navigation, flood risk management, fish and wildlife habitat, recreation, and incidental irrigation. The dam spans approximately 3,200 feet and has an effective height of 100 feet. It is a concrete gravity structure with an earthfill right abutment embankment.
Every year World Ranger Day is celebrated on July 31. The Walla Walla District's own Natural Resource Specialists oversee recreation across the District’s 107,000 square miles, where over eight million guests visit annually.
An aerial view of snow-covered Cook Mountain near Johnagan Creek in Clearwater County, Idaho, rises 3,041 feet above sea level, captured during the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District’s annual snow flight, April 10. Conducted in collaboration with the Idaho Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, this mission helps engineers with the Water Management Team of the Walla Walla District, assess mountain snowpack—nature’s high-altitude water reserve—crucial for forecasting regional water flow that sustains rivers, farms, and communities.
The power grid produces as it is consumed. Energy production rises and falls in tandem with human activity, allowing electricity to flow continuously into homes and businesses. However, this flow can be interrupted.
Nestled along the Boise River, just five miles from downtown Boise, lies the Barber Pool Conservation Area (BPCA), an aquatic and riparian ecosystem spanning over 700 acres, one of the largest natural areas dedicated to wildlife found within an American capital city. Known for its lush habitats and migratory bird stopovers, the BPCA is now the focus of restoration initiative led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Walla Walla District (USACE ) and Boise State University.
Born and raised only 30 miles away from the Walla Walla District headquarters, a young Dayton native never knew much about the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It wasn’t until after college that Ryan Laughery, hydraulics engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, would come to realize the world of opportunities awaiting him one town over.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, is soliciting public and agency comments regarding the scope of the Barber Pool Conservation Area Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration Feasibility Study. USACE, in partnership with the non-federal sponsor, Boise State University, is developing a plan to restore aquatic and riparian habitats on the Boise River and prepare a Feasibility Report/Environmental Assessment under the Continuing Authorities Program, Section 1135.
It started in 1979 on the dirt streets of Zacatecas, Mexico, where a young boy named Juan Gaytan dreamed of a better life in the United States.
The Walla Walla District constructs, operates, maintains, and secures multipurpose infrastructure to energize the economy, reduce flood risk, and serve as stewards of water resources for the Snake River Basin and the Nation.

News Releases

Walla Walla District to Reopen Six Recreation Areas
8/22/2025
WALLA WALLA, Wash. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District is reopening of six recreation areas for the fall recreation season beginning in late August and continuing into September...
McNary Lock and Dam Gets a Roadway Refresh: Expect Closures
8/20/2025
UMATILLA, Ore. – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, in partnership with MacNak Construction LLC, will begin reconstructing portions of 3rd Street and Scaplehorn Road near McNary...
Dworshak Dam Announces Seasonal Visitor Center Hours Change, Safety Reminders
8/20/2025
AHSAHKA, Idaho – As the summer recreation season winds down, the Dworshak Dam and Reservoir Visitor Center has adjusted its hours of operation...