Little Goose Lock And Dam

About Little Goose Lock And Dam

The primary purpose of Little Goose 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 - Walla Walla District (federal). It impounds the Snake River near Starbuck.

The dam stands 226 feet tall and stretches 2,655 feet across, creates a reservoir covering 10,025 acres, has a maximum storage capacity of 565,200 acre-feet, and collects water from a drainage area of 103,900 square miles. Completed in 1970, 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 05/01/2023.

At 226 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 Washington dam safety program can provide more specific information about emergency planning for this structure.

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