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Bonneville Dam.
Bonneville Dam as seen from Hamilton Island, accessed from Washington State Highway 14.
Image taken August 1, 2004.
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Bonneville Dam ...
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Bonneville Dam from the Fort Cascades Trail, Hamilton Island.
Image taken August 1, 2004.
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Spillway, Oregon side, Bonneville Dam.
View from Hamilton Island, Washington.
Image taken April 22, 2006.
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Bonneville Reservoir ...
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Recreation on the Bonneville Reservoir.
Bonneville Reservoir as seen from Stevenson, Washington. Burn on the Oregon shore is the Cascade Locks fire of 2003.
Image taken October 25, 2003.
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Sailboarding, from near Spring Creek Fish Hatchery, Washington.
Image taken August 22, 2011.
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Captain Bonneville ...
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Bonneville, Oregon, Bonneville Dam, and
North Bonneville, Washington, were named after
Captain (later Brig. General) Benjamin L.E. Bonneville, a West Point graduate who explored the west from 1832 to 1835, visiting many parts of Oregon. Bonneville Post Office, Oregon, was established in 1900, and the railway along the Columbia maintained a Bonneville Station for many years.
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Views of Bonneville Dam ...
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Columbia River, Washington side, across from Bonneville Dam.
Table Mountain and Greenleaf Peak in the background, with Bradford Island visible on the right.
Image taken October 25, 2003.
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Bradford Island as seen from Hamilton Island.
Image taken August 1, 2004.
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Bonneville Dam.
Bonneville Dam as seen from the Bradford Island, Oregon side, accessed from Interstate 84.
Image taken October 25, 2003.
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Bonneville Dam from Hamilton Island.
Bonneville Dam as seen from Hamilton Island, accessed from Washington State Highway 14.
Image taken August 1, 2004.
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Early History ...
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In the early 1930s the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers examined locations between the mouth of the Sandy River to the Upper Cascades, before settling in 1933 on the Lower Cascades as a location for their new dam. The new dam site would be built across the lower end of
Bradford Island, connected to a piece of bedrock called "Bonny Rock".
The first power generated at the Bonneville Powerhouse was produced in March 1938. A formal dam opening was held on July 9, 1938, when the U.S. Secretary of the Interior (Harold Ickes) trilpped a switch and sent electricity to the City of Cascade Locks.
Additional work was completed on the dam in 1942 and 1943. A second powerhouse located on the Washington side of the Columbia River was completed in 1982. A wider and longer Lock was finished in 1993.
The Spillway Dam is 1,450 feet and sits 197 feet above bedrock. There are 36 gates. The total dam length (3 structures) is 3,463 feet.
The 1938 Lock was 76 feet wide by 500 feet long. It took 20 to 25 minutes to fill and 15 to 20 minutes to empty. The new Lock built in 1993 is 86 feet wide and 675 feet long and takes 9 to 13 minutes to fill or empty.
In 1986, the Bonneville Dam Historic District (Powerhouse, Navigation Lock, and Administrative Site) was added to the National Register of Historic Places (District - #86000727).
In 1987, the North Bonneville Archeological District was added to the National Register of Historic Places (District - #87000498).
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Bonneville Locks ...
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Bonneville Locks, downstream end, as seen from Hamilton Island.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Bonneville Locks, downstream end, as seen from Hamilton Island.
Image taken July 2, 2006.
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Bonneville Locks, downstream end, as seen from near Bonneville Fish Hatchery.
Image taken June 29, 2005.
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Spillway Dam ...
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Bonneville Dam's "Spillway Dam" is 1,450 feet in length and rises 197 feet above bedrock. The Spillway had 18 gates, each 50 feet wide. Six of the gates are 60 feet high and the other 12 are 50 feet high. The Spillway can handle 1,600,000 cubic feet per second of water.
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Bonneville Dam, closeup of Oregon side.
Bonneville Dam as seen from Hamilton Island.
Image taken May 1, 2005.
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North Power House ...
Bonneville Dam's
North Powerhouse and Fish Ladder were completed in 1982. It was in this area that three of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (Drouillard and the two Fieldes) spent the night of April 9, 1806.
[More]
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Bonneville Dam North Powerhouse.
Image taken May 13, 2005.
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Eight Turbines, Bonneville Dam North Powerhouse.
Image taken May 13, 2005.
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Fish Ladders ...
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Bonneville Dam North Powerhouse Fish Ladder.
Image taken May 13, 2005.
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Bonneville Dam North Powerhouse Fish Ladder.
Image taken May 13, 2005.
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Fish Viewing ...
Public
viewing windows on both the Washington side and the Oregon side of Bonneville Dam allow the public to view the annual salmon migration up to spawn.
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"A view into the fish ladder", Bonneville Dam Fish Viewing Window.
Bonneville Dam's Washington side Fish Viewing Window.
Image taken June 19, 2005.
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Wild Salmon, Bonneville Dam Fish Viewing Window.
Image taken May 13, 2005.
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"Phoca" ...
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Lewis and Clark encountered many "seals" in the area, and even named Phoca Rock, downstream near Cape Horn, after them.
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"... The Seal or Phoca are found here in great numbers, and as far up the Columbia as the great Falls, above which there are none ..."
[Clark, February 23, 1806]
Today "seals" make their way up the Columbia River to feast at the returning salmon at Bonneville Dam's fish ladder.
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Bonneville Dam from Eagle Creek ...
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Bonneville Dam as seen from the mouth of Eagle Creek, Oregon.
Beacon Rock is in the background.
Image taken September 24, 2005.
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Beacon Rock, Washington, as seen from the mouth of Eagle Creek, Oregon.
Image taken September 24, 2005.
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Beacon Rock from Bonneville Dam ...
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Looking downstream from Bonneville Dam.
View from the North Powerhouse, Bonneville Dam, towards Beacon Rock.
Image taken June 19, 2005.
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Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) ...
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Congress created the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) in 1937 to deliver and sell the power from Bonneville Dam. The first line connected Bonneville Dam to
Cascade Locks, Oregon, just three miles upstream from the dam. Major construction from the 1940s through the 1960s created networks and loops of high-voltage wire touching most parts of BPA's service territory. During that time, Congress authorized BPA to sell and deliver power from more federal dams on the Columbia and its tributaries.
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Powerlines from Bonneville Dam.
Powerlines from Bonneville Dam cross Bradford Island (right) and connect with Washington State. Greenleaf Peak, Washington, is in the background.
Image taken October 25, 2003.
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"The Golden Age of Postcards" ...
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The early 1900s was the "Golden Age of Postcards", with the "Penny Postcard" being a popular way to send greetings to family and friends.
Today the Penny Postcard has become a snapshot of history.
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Penny Postcard: Bonneville Dam looking northeast, ca.1940s.
Penny Postcard, ca.1940s". Published by E.C. Kropp Co., Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Bonneville Dam looking upstream, ca.1940s.
Penny Postcard, ca.1940s, "Bonneville Dam, Looking Upstream, Columbia River Between Washington and Oregon.". Photo by Frank L. Jones. Published by Wesley Andrews Co., Portland, Oregon. In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Bonneville Dam, Powerhouse and Canal, ca.1940s.
Penny Postcard, Postmarked 1942, "Power Plant, Bonneville Dam, Columbia River between Washington and Oregon.". Photo by Frank L. Jones. Published by Wesley Andrews Co., Portland, Oregon. Card is postmarked April 27, 1942. In the private collection of Lyn Topinka.
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Penny Postcard: Bonneville Dam fish ladders, north side, ca.1940s.
Penny Postcard, ca.1940s, "Fish Ladders, North Side Bonneville Dam, Washington-Oregon.". Photo by Wesley Andrews. Published by Wesley Andrews Co., Portland, Oregon. In the private collection of Lyn Topinka. |
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From the Journals of Lewis and Clark ...
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Lewis, April 9, 1806 ...
This morning early we commenced the operation of reloading our canoes; at 7 A. M. we departed [from their camp at Shepperds Dell] and proceeded on to the Camp of Reubin and Joseph Fields [near Dodson, Oregon] they had not killed any game; we made no halt at this place but continued our rout to the Wah-clel-lah Village which is situated on the North side of the river [location of Skamania and Skamania Landing] about a mile below the beacon rock [Beacon Rock]; here we halted and took breakfast.
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this village appears to be the winter station of the Wah-clel-lahs and Clahclellars, the greater part of the former have lately removed to the falls of the Multnomah, and the latter have established themselves a few miles above on the North side of the river opposite the lower point of brant island [Bradford Island], being the commencement of the rapids, here they also take their salmon; they are now in the act of removing, and not only take with them their furniture and effects but also the bark and most of the boards which formed their houses. 14 houses remain entire but are at this time but thinly inhabited, nine others appear to have been lately removed, and the traces of ten or twelve others of ancient date were to be seen in the rear of their present village.
...
on our way to this village we passed several beautifull cascades which fell from a great hight over the stupendious rocks which cloles the river on both sides nearly, except a small bottom on the South side in which our hunters were encamped. the most remarkable of these casscades falls about 300 feet perpendicularly over a solid rock into a narrow bottom of the river on the south side. it is a large creek, situated about 5 miles above our encampment of the last evening. several small streams fall from a much greater hight, and in their decent become a perfect mist which collecting on the rocks below again become visible and decend a second time in the same manner before they reach the base of the rocks.
[Multnomah Falls area]
the hills have now become mountains high on each side are rocky steep and covered generally with fir and white cedar.
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at 2 P. M. we renewed our voyage; passed under the beacon rock [Beacon Rock] on the north side, to the left of two small islands situated near the shore [Ives and Pierce Islands]. at four P.M. we arrived at the Clah-clel-lah village; here we found the natives busily engaged in erecting their new habitations, which appear to be reather of a temperary kind; it is most probable that they only reside here during the salmon season. we purchased two dogs of these people who like those of the village blow were but sulky and illy disposed; they are great rogues and we are obliged to keep them at a proper distance from our baggage. as we could not ascend the rapid [foot of the Cascade Rapids] by the North side of the river with our large canoes [Hamilton Island area], we passed to the oposite side and entered the narrow channel which seperates brant Island [Bradford Island] from the South shore; the evening being far spent and the wind high raining and very cold we thought best not to attempt the rapids [Cascade Rapids] this evening, we therefore sought a safe harbour in this narrow channel and encamped on the main shore [Tanner Creek, Oregon]. our small canoe with Drewyer and the two feildses was unable to pass the river with us in consequence of the waves they therefore toed her up along the N. side of the river and encamped [upstream end of Bonneville Dam, location of today's North Powerhouse] opposite the upper point of brant Island [Bradford Island]. after halting this evening I took a turn with my gun in order to kill a deer, but was unsuccessful. I saw much fresh sign. the fir has been lately injured by a fire near this place and many of them have discharged considerable quantities of rozin. we directed that Collins should hunt a few hours tomorrow morning and that Gibson and his crew should remain at his place untill we returned and employ themselves in collectng rozin which our canoes are now in want of.
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