COLUMBIA & SNAKE RIVERS, Ore. & Wash. -- May 15 marks the start of the summer schedule for recreational boaters using navigation locks to travel past U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers, according to Corps navigation planners.
Corps dams with locks along the Columbia River include Bonneville Dam, near Cascade Locks, Oregon; The Dalles Dam, near The Dalles, Oregon; John Day Dam, near Rufus, Oregon; and McNary Dam, near Umatilla, Oregon.
Dams with locks along the Snake River include Ice Harbor Dam, near Burbank, Washington; Lower Monumental Dam, near Kahlotus, Washington; Little Goose Dam, near Starbuck, Washington; and Lower Granite Dam, near Pomeroy, Washington.
Because of necessary maintenance at the Ice Harbor navigation lock, recreational vessels may only use the lock twice daily; at 9 a.m. for upstream traffic, and at 6 p.m. for downstream traffic. Recreational vessels may be allowed to lock past Ice Harbor with commercial craft at other times, subject to the discretion of the lock operator. Recreational vessel operators are encouraged to use upstream or downstream boat launches to minimize use of the Ice Harbor lock.
The summer lockage schedule applies to all other Corps dams along the Columbia-Snake river system.
| Upstream |
Downstream |
| 9 a.m. |
9:30 a.m. |
| 12 p.m. |
12:30 p.m. |
| 3 p.m. |
3:30 p.m. |
| 6 p.m. |
6:30 p.m. |
| 9 p.m. |
9:30 p.m. |
This schedule will remain in effect through Sept. 14. Recreational vessel operators have precedence over commercial vessels during the designated times. At other times, recreational vessels may be allowed to lock through with commercial craft at the discretion of the lockmaster.
Lockages outside the scheduled times will be considered for flotillas or other organized events sponsored by yacht clubs, marinas and other groups, provided 24-hour advance arrangements are made with the appropriate location. Call to schedule special lockages:
| Lock and Dam |
Phone number |
Radio Call Sign
(contact lock operator using Marine VHF-FM Channel 14) |
| Bonneville |
541-374-8323 |
WUJ 33 |
| The Dalles |
541-298-4007 |
WUJ 34 |
| John Day |
541-298-9712 |
WUJ 35 |
| McNary |
541-922-2231 |
WUJ 41 |
| Ice Harbor |
509-543-3231 |
WUJ 42 |
| Lower Monumental |
509-282-3218 |
WUJ 43 |
| Little Goose |
509-399-2233 ext. 231 |
WUJ 44 |
| Lower Granite |
509-843-2231 |
WUJ 45 |
Everyone in the vessel must be wearing a personal floatation devise throughout the duration of the lockage. All vessel owners and operators lock through at their own risk and must comply with the Corps’ safe-lockage policy. Portland District’s navigation information and the brochure "How to Lock Through" is available at
www.nww.usace.army.mil/Portals/28/docs/navigation/locking.pdf.
The Corps’ Portland and Walla Walla districts maintain about 350 miles of the federal inland navigation channel from Portland, Oregon to Lewiston, Idaho. Nine million tons of commercial cargo, valued around $3 billion, is transported through the lock system each year, according to navigation industry data. The Columbia-Snake navigation system is part of a larger waterborne commerce system that is vital to the economic health of the Pacific Northwest. This import/export gateway allows river transport 465 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean to Lewiston, Idaho.
Portland District’s recreational vessel lockage information is online at
www.nwp.usace.army.mil/locks/.
Walla Walla District’s recreational vessel lockage information is online at
www.nww.usace.army.mil/Missions/Navigation/.
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