Monday April 17, 2023
KPTV —
Every spring, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers opens the spillway at Bonneville Dam, about 45 minutes east of Portland, to help salmon travel through.
UACE has all kinds of responsibilities at the dam, but Columbia Basin reservoir control center chief Julie Ammann said it views this as one of the most important.
“We’re changing how we release water through turbines,” Ammann said. “We’re changing how we release water through spillways to better mimic conditions that they will find more advantageous.”
During the spring, over three quarters of the water in the dam goes over the spillway. Biologist Doug Baus said this is an important step for salmon.