News Release
| Release Number: | 01-145 |
| Dated: | 10/23/2001 |
| Contact: | Matt Rabe, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.-A lack of commercial river traffic is prompting the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to close the Willamette Falls Locks on the Willamette River at West Linn for the next six months.
The locks will close Nov. 3 to all river traffic and will reopen in early April 2002, according to the agency's Portland office.
Commercial use of the locks dropped 86 percent between 1995 and 1999, though recreational use remains high during the summer recreation season.
Funding for operating the locks was included in the Corps budget, however, it is not sufficient to maintain and operate the locks full time, according to Debby Chenoweth, operations manager at Bonneville Lock and Dam and Willamette Falls Locks.
Willamette Falls Locks will receive about $280,000 for operations for fiscal year 2002, which began this month. That is about $200,000 short of the amount required to accomplish maintenance and keep the locks open year-round.
"We looked at several options for operating the locks with the available funding. The best option with the least public impact is to close the locks for about six months," said Chenoweth.
Crews will try to accommodate scheduled lockages on a case-by-case basis. River users who want to request a special lockage, should call (503) 656-3381 at least 48 hours in advance.
Lock operators who normally work at Willamette Falls Locks will be transferred to Bonneville Lock and Dam through the winter and will return when the locks reopen in the spring, said Chenoweth.
The Corps has operated the Willamette Falls Locks since 1915, when it purchased the facility from the Portland Railway Light and Power Company for $375,000. The locks opened on Jan. 1, 1873, and have provided daily portage around the Willamette Falls, except during periodic maintenance closures.