UMATILLA, Ore. – The navigation lock at McNary Dam, near Umatilla, Oregon, reopened to river traffic this evening, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials in the Walla Walla District announced.
The Corps of Engineers is nearing the scheduled end of an extended navigation lock maintenance outage, which began December 12, 2016. The coordinated 14-week-long closure has affected all eight Corps navigation locks on the Columbia and Snake rivers, during which time critical, non-routine repairs and maintenance, plus routine maintenance and scheduled improvements are being completed.
Bonneville Lock and Dam reopened on February 9, as scheduled. The Dalles, John Day, Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, and Lower Granite locks and dams remain scheduled to return to service at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, March 20.
As previously announced in Corps news releases, Little Goose Dam’s downstream navigation lock gate cannot be returned to service by March 20 because of delays due to weather, onsite efficiency, and unforeseen crack repair requirements on the south navigation lock gate. It is currently estimated to reopen at 11:59 p.m. on April 2.
The Corps continues to communicate and coordinate with Columbia-Snake River Navigation System users and stakeholders.
For more information about the 2016-2017 Columbia-Snake Rivers Extended Navigation Lock Outage, visit the Corps’ webpage http://www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/FY17LockOutage.aspx.
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Release no. 17-031