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The Walla Walla District 75th Anniversary

Celebrating 75 years serving the Pacific Northwest and the nation!

The Walla Walla District was established on Nov. 1, 1948.

The Walla Walla District to celebrate its 75th anniversary in November

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District, will be celebrating its 75th anniversary on Nov. 1, 2023.

The district was established on Nov. 1, 1948, just a few years after the completion of the Mill Creek Project.

The land that would become the Walla Walla District was originally part of the USACE Portland District. In the 1940s, several large construction projects were initiated, projects that would go on to become McNary Lock and Dam, Lucky Peak Dam and the four Lower Snake River Dams. All of these activities, plus the future work that was envisioned, prompted a survey in 1947 of several towns, including Pendleton, Tri-Cities, Spokane, Boise, and Walla Walla for the best location of a possible District office.

The City of Walla Walla was ultimately chosen, and, in Nov. 1, 1948, the Walla Walla District was born!

Photos of our projects, then and now!

Photo of the Mill Creek project during construction. The project was completed in 1942 and is the oldest project in the Walla Walla District.
Mill Creek
The Mill Creek Channel and Diversion Dam on a bright and sunny morning.
Mill Creek
Construction began in 1950 and was completed in 1955. Lucky Peak Dam was built as a rolled earthfill dam, 1,700 feet long at the crest, holding back Lucky Peak Lake.
Lucky Peak
Lucky Peak Dam, June 2021
Lucky Peak
Construction for McNary Lock and Dam began in 1948, the same year the Walla Walla District was established. The Portland District handled the design of the project, while the Walla Walla district oversaw construction.
McNary
The Walla Walla District plans to replace all 14 turbines at McNary will take the next 10 to 15 years with turbines that are more efficient at generating electricity and safer for fish. Meanwhile, McNary will continue to generate electricity and allow the passage of barges up and down the Columbia River.
McNary
photo of ice harbor construction
Ice Harbor
morning shot of ice harbor lock and dam
Ice Harbor
The Walla Walla District handed construction of the Lower Monumental project to its neighboring district in July 1962. At this point, the Walla Walla District had completed the design, awarded supply contracts, and begun construction on the first cofferdam. From here, the Seattle District would have full oversight of construction. The Walla Walla District would continue to provide real estate and design support, but the dam would be built by Seattle District engineers.
Lower Monumental
To accommodate the needs of migrating salmon, fish ladders were built at each dam, as well as systems to help juvenile salmon and steelhead travel downstream on their way to the ocean.
Lower Monumental
Unlike the other dams on the Snake River, Little Goose only required one cofferdam. The cofferdam was built on the south shore, diverting the river to the north. The entire concrete structure of the dam was built within this cofferdam.
Little Goose
Little Goose’s reservoir was named Lake Bryan in honor of Dr. Enoch A. Bryan, President of Washington Agricultural College from 1893 to 1915. Today, Washington Agricultural College is better known as Washington State University. The name Lake Bryan was proposed by US Representative Catherine May of Washington. The name was made official in December 1970.
Little Goose
As the concrete was poured, it was measured in cubic yards. Landmarks in Dworshak’s construction were marked every time a million cubic yards were poured. Contractors poured the first million cubic yards of concrete by May 28, 1969. By October 24, there were two million cubic yard of concrete poured. By the end of construction, in the summer of 1973, 6.6 million cubic yards of concrete had been poured.
Dworshak
Dworshak Dam is the third tallest dam in the United States and the tallest straight-axis concrete dam in the Western Hemisphere.
Dworshak
photo of construction
Lower Granite
The completion of Lower Granite Lock and Dam completed a reliable and navigable channel of water that stretched from the Pacific Ocean to Lewiston, Idaho. This channel allows commerce to be shipped up and down river via barge, a method of transportation far more efficient and cost effective than either truck or train.
Lower Granite

Featured articles

The end of a long journey: a history of Lower Granite Lock and Dam
8/25/2023
It was early in the morning and a steam-powered paddleboat made its way up the lower Snake River, trimmed with colored flags. The date was June 19, 1975, and the mood was festive. The vessel was...
Larger than life: A history of Dworshak Dam
7/18/2023
In May 1948, floodwaters on the Columbia River overtopped the cofferdam where construction was underway on McNary Lock and Dam. This flood, one of the largest on record, was one of many documented in...
Waiting in the wings: A history of Little Goose Lock and Dam
6/6/2023
By 1962, Ice Harbor Lock and Dam had been built and construction of the second lower Snake River dam, Lower Monumental, was being passed to the US Army Corps of Engineers Seattle District. The third...
'We’ll cross that bridge…': A history of Lower Monumental Lock and Dam
5/3/2023
Lower Monumental Lock and Dam sits on a remote stretch of the Snake River, in a landscape of wheat fields and rolling hills. The only town within a 20-minute drive is Kahlotus, Washington, six miles...
From water to watts: A history of Ice Harbor Lock and Dam
4/10/2023
Ice Harbor Lock and Dam boasts some of the most cutting-edge hydropower technology in the world. Two advanced technology turbines currently sit in the powerhouse, with a third one on the way. These...
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...
Guarding the Treasure Valley: A history of Lucky Peak Dam
2/8/2023
Every year, snowmelt from the surrounding mountains flows into creeks and streams that join the Boise River. When flows reach 7,000 cubic feet per second or higher, the river is considered at flood...
Through fair or foul weather: A history of the Mill Creek Project
1/10/2023
In 1931, a torrent of brown water roared down Mill Creek, with water levels rising at a rate of one foot per hour. The water escaped the confines of the riverbanks and rushed through the City of Walla...
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