Portland District, US Army Corps of Engineers

08/28/2026

Heads-up: Our Oregon side recreation areas and visitor center at Bonneville Dam will be closed Sept. 1.

Upcoming area closure!
The Bonneville Dam Oregon visitor centers and recreation areas will be closed on Tuesday, September 1st.
This includes the Bradford Island Visitor Center and Recreation Area, Robins Island, and the Navigation Lock Visitor Center.
Tanner Creek and all Washington areas will remain open.

08/27/2026

Hood to Coast kicks off tomorrow. So here’s a throwback to our 1989 Hood to Coast team.

No one will ever know how hard we fought against the wind (or how colorful we were).

We also finished fourth in the Men’s Corporate Division that year, so we were kind of a big deal.

08/20/2026

BIG NEWS! We now officially have a bald eagle at The Dalles Dam Visitor Center!

OK, so technically it’s made of wood.
And technically it's not ours.

BUT... especially if you’re an artist, woodworker, or craftsman of some kind—or just an admirer of any of those endeavors—then this is probably even better than a real eagle*.

The exhibit, the work of local artist Kenneth Nielsen, is on display at our visitor center now until the center closes after Labor Day weekend. Kenneth made the eagle from reused lumber to pay homage to the bald eagles of the Columbia River and allowed us to borrow it in honor of our annual Eagle Watch event.

* If you happen to disagree, then you should still come out to learn more about our annual Eagle Watch event and then come join us in January to see real eagles as part of Eagle Watch.

As a reminder, The Dalles Dam Visitor Center is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Monday until Labor Day.

08/18/2026

We have officially proclaimed August 2026 Antiterrorism Awareness Month.

It might have taken us a while to spell the word "proclamation" (and the word “antiterrorism”), but let it be known: Terrorism is a no-go. And soon, lots of people will be wise to how they can identify and report it.

In all seriousness, while you're *probably* pretty unlikely to encounter acts of terrorism in your day-to-day life, it’s always a good time to be thinking about general awareness—and the importance of reporting suspicious activity.

We all have a role in helping to minimize the threats around us. If you happen to be at one of our campgrounds, day use parks, visitor centers or other public places and witness any suspicious behavior or activity, please report it to local law enforcement officials immediately.

Stay safe. Stay vigilant. And of course, stay classy.

08/12/2026

Just like... FYI

If you’re standing on a jetty, which is basically a giant rock finger extending out into the sea, then you’re asking to get up close and personal with the ocean (and not in a romantic way).

Jetties calm wave action at river inlets so ships can navigate safely inland from the ocean. Some also create a funnel that increases water velocity to flush sediment out into the ocean, so it doesn’t collect in highly trafficked navigation channels.

They’re not for recreational purposes like fishing or pondering the meaning of life.

Waves and strong currents near a jetty could prevent your safe recovery if you fell into the water; you could fall into a crevasse or sinkhole; sea spray could create slippery rock surfaces... which you could slip on; hidden caverns within the structure could suddenly collapse; or a stone could shift with you in the very wrong place. Lots of things could go wrong.

Please just avoid them.

Sincerely,
Us

08/10/2026

This little frog surprised a visitor at River’s Edge Park, one of our southern Oregon recreation areas located near Jess Dam and Lost Creek Lake.

One of our park rangers responded and relocated the little toilet frog back to the wild (yay!).

In case you’ve ever wondered what a park ranger does…
basically everything

From interacting with visitors to enforcing our rules and regulations, our 2,000 rangers share in the responsible management of more than 400 lake and river projects spanning 43 states. They play crucial roles at nearly 3,000 Corps recreation sites nationwide.

Our district alone oversees more than 1,200 campsites, more than 130 parks, 18 lakes and reservoirs, more than 50 boat ramps, and exactly 11 birdwatching areas. We host an estimated 4.5 million visitors each year.

Our park rangers allow us to make all of that happen.

08/07/2026

POV: Your job rocks.

Literally. These rocks are like 40 tons.

But also figuratively. There’s nothing better than a good old jetty repair to keep the navigation channel maintained.

In late 2023, we began the first repairs of the south jetty at Tillamook Bay since the structure’s original completion in 1979. Those repairs are currently on track to finish up in late fall.

Then, the jetty can do what it does best:

The 1 ½-mile south jetty works in tandem with a second jetty on the north end of the bay (completed in 1914) to restrict the width of the river channel. This restriction increases flow velocity and flushes sediment out of the navigation channel so ships can transit safely and reliably inland from the ocean.

The two jetties also prevent sediment from along the coast to the north and south from depositing in the navigation channel.

To date, we’ve placed more than 92,000 tons of armor stone at the south jetty and procured more than 100,000 tons of stone.

08/07/2026

Trying to get people to stop by our sleepy little visitor center at The Dalles Dam be like:

OK, so it’s not a Spirit Halloween. Sorry to disappoint. But that doesn’t mean that our Dalles Dam visitor center isn’t an absolute gem and a ton of fun to explore—especially if you happen to BE in The Dalles and need something to do.

(For what it’s worth, though: If you asked one of our park rangers for a ghost story, they would definitely have at least five of them ready to go. Bet!)

So come on by! Learn about one of the nation’s largest hydropower dams. Check out our little rose garden. (Yes, we have a rose garden.) Chat with our rangers. Check out some cool exhibits and promotional products from a time when we apparently had a limitless marketing budget.

The Dalles Dam Visitor Center is located just north of Interstate 84 at exit 87, then east on Bret Clodfelter Way. For more information, contact The Dalles Lock and Dam ranger office at 541-506-8475.

Open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday through Labor Day weekend.

08/05/2026

Here in Portland and at our headquarters in Washington, D.C., we’re closely monitoring the many wildfires currently impacting Oregon, Washington, and Idaho.

We’re actively coordinating with FEMA and stand ready to assist in any way we can to support our neighbors across the region. Our Tribal Liaison is standing by to ensure any Tribal requests for emergency assistance are promptly relayed to our Emergency Management team.

We’re also sending our deepest thoughts and support to everyone affected by the devastating fires in Spokane and central Washington, some of whom are our USACE teammates and their families.

Safety First: Everyone, please stay safe, remain vigilant, and strictly follow all warnings and evacuation orders from your local emergency authorities.

Some helpful resources:
-- For the latest wildfire information, including evacuation levels, download the Watch Duty app at https://app.watchduty.org/.
-- For a current overview of fires and other hazards across Oregon, visit https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/9bb52cec4e4943e195a238f160fbcd12
-- Washington state wildfire resources: https://governor.wa.gov/news-media/washington-wildfire-resources
-- For your local, up-to-date air quality index (AQI), visit https://www.airnow.gov.