John Day Dam

John Day Dam
From the Washington side of the Columbia River
Construction began	1958
Opening date	1971
Construction cost	US$511 million
Power generation information
Installed capacity	2,480 MW
Geographical Data
Coordinates	45°42′53″N 120°41′37″W / 45.71472°N 120.69361°W / 45.71472; -120.69361 45°43′04″N 120°41′38″W / 45.71778°N 120.69389°W / 45.71778; -120.69389
Maintained by	U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Operator)

John Day Dam is a hydroelectric dam spanning the Columbia River in the northwestern United States. The dam features a navigation lock plus fish ladders on both sides. The John Day Lock has the highest lift (110 feet) of any U.S. lock^[1]. The reservoir impounded by the dam is Lake Umatilla^[2], and it runs 76.4 miles (123 kilometers) up the river channel to the foot of the McNary Dam.

John Day Dam is part of the Columbia River Basin system of dams.

Location

John Day Dam is located 28 miles (45 km) east of the city of The Dalles, Oregon, and just below the mouth of the John Day River. The closest town on the Washington side is Goldendale, 20 miles (32 km) north. Its crest elevation is approximately 570 feet (170 m) above sea level. It joins Sherman County, Oregon with Klickitat County, Washington, 216 miles (348 kilometers) upriver from the mouth of the Columbia near Astoria, Oregon.

The United States Geological Survey has two entries for John Day Dam:

• Sherman County, Oregon at 45°42′53″N 120°41′37″W / 45.71472°N 120.69361°W / 45.71472; -120.69361, at an elevation of 164 ft. (50 m), and
• Klickitat County, Washington at 45°43′04″N 120°41′38″W / 45.71778°N 120.69389°W / 45.71778; -120.69389, at an elevation of 269 ft. (82 m).

History

Construction of the dam began in 1958 and was completed in 1971, (making it the newest dam on the lower Columbia), at a total cost of US$511 million. John Day Dam was built and is operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The dam's power generation capacity is 2,480,000 kW (overload capacity).

Gallery

John Day Dam view from the north, Washington side of the Columbia River, with the lock in the foreground

Depth of John Day Dam pool is illustrated by this 1967 photo showing the new UPRR bridge, with old bridges at sites to be submerged below.

Statistics

• Altitude: 266 feet (81 m) above sea level
• Height: 183 feet (56 m)
• Length: 7,365 feet (2,327 m)
• Navigation lock:
  • Single-lift
  • 86 feet (26 m) wide
  • 675 feet (206 m) long
• Powerhouse
  • Sixteen 135,000 kW units
  • Total capacity: 2,160 MW
  • Overload capacity: 2,485 MW
• Spillway
  • Gates: 20
  • Length: 1,228 feet (374 m)

See also

• Hydroelectric dams on the Columbia River

Sources

• "John Day Dam (Oregon - 164 ft. elev.)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1122445. Retrieved 2006-05-10. 
• "John Day Dam (Washington - 269 ft. elev.)". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey. http://geonames.usgs.gov/pls/gnispublic/f?p=gnispq:3:::NO::P3_FID:1505826. Retrieved 2006-05-10. 

References

1. ^ http://www.engineeringsights.org/SightDetail.asp?Sightid=107&id=&view=k&name=&page=21&image=0
2. ^ USGS GNIS: Lake Umatilla

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: John Day Dam

• John Day Dam U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
• Google Maps

Crossings of Columbia River Upstream Umatilla Bridge John Day Dam Downstream Sam Hill Memorial Bridge