McNary Dam, Hydroelectric power station and dam on Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, United States
McNary Dam is a hydroelectric installation spanning 2245 meters across the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington. The structure harnesses the river's flow to generate power for the region.
Construction started in 1947 under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and progressed through the mid-1950s. The project was part of a larger effort to develop hydropower along the Columbia River system.
The dam was first planned as Umatilla Dam, but the Flood Control Act of 1945 renamed it for Senator Charles L. McNary of Oregon, who died in February 1944. The name ties the structure to the town of Umatilla, one mile west, and to the senator's role in regional development.
The dam lies on the Columbia River one mile east of Umatilla, Oregon, and eight miles north of Hermiston. The Washington shore has a single-lift navigation lock 26 metres wide and 208 metres long that raises boats about 23 metres. Two fish ladders, one on each shore, pass salmon and steelhead; three fishway pumps supplement the gravity-fed flow.
The dam can rapidly restore power to the grid following major electrical failures, making it a critical safety resource. This capability allows it to help stabilize regional electricity supply during emergencies.
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