Dam · United States

How much did the original Bonneville Lock and Dam cost to build?

Bonneville Lock and Dam crosses the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington, about 40 miles east of Portland. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began the original river project in 1933; President Roosevelt dedicated it in 1937, and it first transmitted power in 1938. The original powerhouse, spillway, navigation lock and fish-passage works are the scope of the Corps' reported $88.4 million construction cost. A second powerhouse was built on the Washington shore between 1974 and 1981, and a larger navigation lock followed in 1993. The two powerhouses have 18 main generating units; a Corps fact sheet lists their separate nameplate ratings as 518 and 532 megawatts. The later powerhouse and lock are not included in the original 1930s cost.