Portland District, US Army Corps of Engineers

05/31/2026

You can never be too loud about dam safety.

05/30/2026

This Dam Safety Awareness Day, spend some time getting to know the dam near you.

You may even live near multiple dams.

While dams provide numerous benefits—from flood risk reduction to the generation of clean, renewable energy—they also pose some risks.

Our dam safety program is all about keeping our infrastructure in optimal shape so that it poses minimal risk to the public while still adding value.

But no dam is completely risk-free.

You can do your part to stay safe by visiting the National Inventory of Dams (link in comments) and learning about the dams in your area.

05/27/2026

Saw the craziest message in the clouds!

In case you can’t read cloud writing:

The Dalles Dam Visitor Center is now open!
Fri-Sun | 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. | through Labor Day

Stop by and see us!

05/25/2026

Never Forgotten.

05/21/2026

Water safety will *obviously* be part of your outdoor adventures, right? RIGHT?!?!?!

We sure hope they will. (John Travolta probably does, too, but we’re not his personal public relations team, so...)

Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest outdoor recreation weekends of the year, the “unofficial” start of summer, the kickoff to the recreation season, and the start of the time during which we see a major surge in water-based accidents and fatalities.

If your plans involve being in or on the water, then they should also include:

-- wearing a properly fitted, Coast Guard-approved life jacket

-- swimming in designated areas (and not alone)

-- keeping children within arm’s reach when near open water

-- avoiding alcohol while boating or swimming

-- keeping in mind that water temperatures can remain dangerously cold even during warm weather

-- using an engine cut-off device when boating

-- knowing your swimming abilities and keeping in mind that conditions in natural bodies of water differ from pools

Check the comments for more water safety tips.

05/21/2026

Stone staging area Zen garden* (yay!)
44,400 tons of stone placed (BIG yay!)

In late 2023, we began the first repairs of the south jetty at Tillamook Bay since the structure’s original completion in 1979. Those repairs are currently on track to finish up by this fall.

Then, the jetty can do what it does best.

The 1 ½-mile south jetty works in tandem with a second jetty on the north end of the bay (completed in 1914) to restrict the width of the river channel. This restriction increases flow velocity and flushes sediment out of the navigation channel so ships can transit safely and reliably inland from the ocean.

The two jetties also prevent sediment from along the coast to the north and south from depositing in the navigation channel.

To date, we’ve placed a whopping 44,400 tons of armor stone at the south jetty and procured nearly 100,000 tons of stone.

WOOhOO!!!

* The pictured Zen garden—while it does make a great space for meditation and contemplation—was unintentionally created by dump trucks and excavators meticulously organizing and moving stones around

05/20/2026

05/15/2026

Today is Wear Your Life Jacket at Work Day.
So we’re wearing our life jackets at work.

As one of the nation’s largest providers of water-based recreation, what else would we do?

Today also happens to be the official kickoff of National Safe Boating Week (May 16-22). So, we’re going to share some safe boating tips with you. (Buckle up that properly fitted, Coast Guard-approved life jacket!)

-- Always wear a life jacket!

-- Use an engine cutoff switch.

-- Never boat under the influence.

-- Let someone know when and where you’ll planning to boat.

-- Prepare for the unexpected.

-- Take a safe boating course.

-- Always pay attention.

05/13/2026

We’re headed for one of the driest years on record for our Rogue Basin reservoirs. Join us for a public info session May 18 to learn more.

The gist of it:
Low rainfall and snowpack have resulted in drought conditions for Lost Creek and Applegate lakes, creating challenges for refilling the basin’s two reservoirs ahead of the summer recreation season.

Check the comments for more info, details to join one of our two meetings, and a look at our current water levels by location.