Bonneville Lock and Dam on the Columbia River

The Army Corps of Engineers built the Bonneville Lock and Dam during the Great Depression years of 1933-1937. It is the first in a series of locks and dams on the Columbia River.

The dam was built to generate electricity, and is an important source of power in the Northwest.

In addition to being the first lock for river cruise ships moving upstream through the Columbia River Gorge, the Bonneville Lock and Dam is the last lock on a downstream voyage to the Pacific Ocean at Astoria.

Bonneville Lock on the Columbia River (c) Linda Garrison