Bonneville Dam - A Unique Pacific Northwest Attraction

Scattered around the United States there are a few places that would be considered major, unique tourist attractions. There are great artistic and monumental works like Mount Rushmore in South Dakota and the Statue of Liberty in New York, scientific marvels like Old Faithful in Montana and Mount Denali in Alaska, entertainment attractions like Disney World in Florida, and places of historical interest like Alcatraz in California. If you ever find yourself in the vicinity of the Columbia River, which separates Oregon and Washington, make a trip to Bonneville Dam, an attraction in its own right, and treat yourself to an experience unique to the Pacific Northwest.

Bonneville Dam is a beautiful 40 mile drive up the Columbia River from downtown Portland, Oregon. Besides being an educational activity, it is also cheap entertainment, that is, there is no fee for enjoying the exhibits and scenery. For an up-close look at how the dam originated in 1938 with a single powerhouse and how it functions now with dual powerhouses, you can check out the main visitor center on the Washington side of the dam. From the outside upper level you can watch the fish try to climb the ladders that allow them to gain the 60 feet of elevation necessary to pass the dam. Inside on the lower level there is a large wall of thick glass windows that allows visitors the chance to watch underwater as fish pass through the ladders mere feet away. Fish run up the river at all times of the year. However, visitors in the months of June through September are treated to a large variety of species making appearances- shad by the millions, large Chinook salmon, coho salmon, an occasional pink salmon, sockeye salmon, steelhead, lamprey, carp and several other species can be seen cruising over the dam. Most of the fish are on their way to upriver spawning grounds.

Near the dam on the Oregon (South) side of the river you can visit the trout hatchery and sturgeon ponds. The hatchery, which raises a variety of trout species including some gigantic rainbow trout, allows visitors to view its rearing ponds as well as the ponds where they keep some of the adult fish just for visitors to see. You can buy food to feed the fish by the handful, as well as make a stop into the gift shop where you can buy souvenirs from the dam. In addition to the trout, you can also check out the sturgeon ponds by looking in from the top, or through an underwater viewing area. The ponds hold several of the gigantic, pre-historic looking fish, the largest and most famous of which is named Herman. Herman is 10-feet long and weighs nearly 400 pounds, but is still small by sturgeon standards, considering they can grow to over 15-feet.

Visit http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/b/tours.asp for hours of operation and more information about the Bradford Island Visitor Center. Also, visit http://www.dfw.state.or.us/resources/visitors/bonneville_hatchery.asp for information and visiting hours for the fish hatchery, which is operated by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. If you do visit the region, do not miss the opportunity to see this unique attraction.

Facts and data about Bonneville Dam from http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/b/home.asp.