Bonneville Dam
| Bonneville Lock and Dam | |
|---|---|
Spillway structure
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| Location | Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, Multnomah County, Oregon / Skamania County, Washington, United States |
| Coordinates | 45°38′39″N 121°56′26″W / 45.64417°N 121.94056°W |
| Construction began | 1934 (First Powerhouse) 1974 (Second Powerhouse) |
| Opening date | 1937 (First Powerhouse) 1981 (Second Powerhouse) |
| Construction cost | $88.4 million (First Powerhouse) $664 million (Second Powerhouse) |
| Owner(s) |
US Army Corps of Engineers (Operator) Bonneville Power Administration (Marketer) |
| Dam and spillways | |
| Type of dam | Concrete gravity, run-of-the-river |
| Impounds | Columbia River |
| Height | 197 ft (60 m) |
| Length | 2,690 ft (820 m) |
| Width (base) | 132 ft (40 m) (Spillway) |
| Spillway type | Service, gate-controlled |
| Reservoir | |
| Creates | Lake Bonneville |
| Total capacity | 537,000 acre·ft (0.662 km3) |
| Catchment area | 240,000 sq mi (620,000 km2) |
| Power station | |
| Turbines | 20 |
| Installed capacity | 1242 MW |
| Annual generation | 4,466 GWh (2009) |
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Bonneville Dam Historic District
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| Location | Bonneville, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°38′39″N 121°56′26″W / 45.64417°N 121.94056°WCoordinates: 45°38′39″N 121°56′26″W / 45.64417°N 121.94056°W |
| Built | 1909, 1934 |
| Architect | Claussen and Claussen, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers |
| Architectural style | Colonial Revival, Other |
| NRHP Reference # |
86000727 (original) 86003598 (increase) |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | April 9, 1986 (original) March 26, 1987 (increase) |
| Designated NHLD | June 30, 1987 |
Bonneville Lock and Dam /ˈbɒnᵻvᵻl/ consists of several run-of-the-river dam structures that together complete a span of the Columbia River between the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington at River Mile 146.1. The dam is located 40 miles (64 km) east of Portland, Oregon, in the Columbia River Gorge. The primary functions of Bonneville Lock and Dam are electrical power generation and river navigation. The dam was built and is managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. Electrical power generated at Bonneville is distributed by the Bonneville Power Administration. Bonneville Lock and Dam is named for Army Capt. Benjamin Bonneville, an early explorer credited with charting much of the Oregon Trail. The Bonneville Dam Historic District was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1987.
In 1896, prior to this damming of the river, the Cascade Locks and Canal were constructed, allowing ships to pass the Cascades Rapids, located several miles upstream of Bonneville.
Prior to the New Deal, development of the Columbia River with flood control, hydroelectricity, navigation and irrigation was deemed as important. In 1929, the US Army Corps of Engineers published the 308 Report that recommended 10 dams on the river but no action was taken until the Franklin D. Roosevelt administration and the New Deal. During this period America was in the Great Depression, and the dam's construction provided jobs and other economic benefits to the Pacific Northwest. Inexpensive hydroelectricity gave rise to a strong aluminum industry in the area. With funding from the Public Works Administration in 1934, two of the larger projects were started, the Grand Coulee Dam and the Bonneville Dam. 3,000 workers in non-stop eight-hour shifts, from the relief or welfare rolls, were paid 50-cents an hour for the work on the dam and raising local roads for the reservoir.
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