The Dalles Dam. Photo courtesy of US Army
Corps of Engineers
Posted: Thursday, October 1, 2009
Crews will work around the clock starting tonight
to repair the lock at The Dalles Dam on the Columbia River.
Officials with the US Army Corps of Engineers closed the lock
Tuesday after a gate malfunctioned. The shutdown means barge
traffic on the river has come to a standstill. More than ten million
tons of grain, wood and petroleum products are shipped on the
Columbia River each year. John Pigott of Vancouver,
Washington-based Tidewater Barge Lines says several of his
company’s barges are stranded.
Pigott: “Everyday you have a piece a equipment that
has to earn its living by moving cargo, and it’s sitting idle, of course
there’s a loss of revenue.”
Still, Pigott says financial losses will be minimal if the lock re-opens
in a few days. A spokesperson says the Corps of Engineers should
know by tomorrow afternoon how long the
shutdown will last. The closure does not affect hydropower
production at the dam. (Chris Lehman)
Copyright 2009 OPB