John Day Lock And Dam
John Day Lock And Dam is an earth dam located in Klickitat County, Oregon, built in 1968. It carries a High hazard potential classification.
About John Day Lock And Dam
The primary purpose of John Day Lock And Dam is navigation. The dam maintains water levels sufficient for boat and barge traffic, supporting commercial or recreational navigation on the waterway. The dam is owned by Usace - Portland District (federal). It impounds the Columbia River near Rufus.
The dam stands 230 feet tall and stretches 5,900 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 55,000 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 2,530,000 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 226,000 square miles. Completed in 1968, the structure is well into its service life at over 50 years old.
This dam carries a high hazard potential classification, which means that a failure or uncontrolled release of water would likely cause loss of human life. This classification reflects the consequences of failure, not the likelihood — it indicates that people live or work in the area downstream. An emergency action plan is in place for this dam. The most recent inspection on record was 01/20/2022.
At 230 feet, this dam is taller than 99% of all dams in the United States.
Living Downstream
If you live or work downstream of this dam, consider taking these steps: learn your local evacuation routes, check whether your county emergency management office has a dam failure inundation map, and sign up for local emergency alerts. The Oregon dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.
Search for dams near your address to see all dams in your area with hazard classifications and safety data.
Location
| State | Oregon |
| County | Klickitat |
| Nearest City | Rufus |
| River/Stream | Columbia River |
| Coordinates | 45.71795, -120.69540 |
Physical Characteristics
| Dam Type | Earth |
| NID Height | 230 ft |
| Dam Height | 118 ft |
| Dam Length | 5,900 ft |
| Year Completed | 1968 (58 years old) |
Storage & Hydraulics
| NID Storage | 2,530,000 acre-ft |
| Max Storage | 2,530,000 acre-ft |
| Normal Storage | 530,000 acre-ft |
| Surface Area | 55,000 acres |
| Drainage Area | 226,000 sq mi |
| Max Discharge | 2,250,000 cfs |
| Spillway Type | Controlled |
Ownership & Safety
| Purpose | Navigation |
| Owner | USACE - Portland District |
| Owner Type | Federal |
| Hazard Classification | High |
| Condition Assessment | Not Available |
| Last Inspection | 01/20/2022 |
| Emergency Action Plan | Yes |
Identifiers
| NID ID | OR00011 |
| Federal ID | OR00011 |
| More Info | State Dam Safety Program |