The Columbia Basin dams have withstood the test of time, bringing clean, reliable energy to homes and businesses for generations. Behind these powerhouses are highly trained U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees who implement cutting-edge technology to adapt to the growing electricity demand in the Pacific Northwest.
A turbine replacement project at Ice Harbor Dam on the lower Snake River combined efficiency, increased energy production and fish protection with state-of-the-art turbine design. The project generates more carbon-free power using the same amount of water to energize thousands of homes.
The multiyear project to replace Ice Harbor Dam’s three massive turbines is nearing completion. By this time next year, the final turbine will be installed and online.
When all three turbines are operational, the dam will have the potential to produce an additional 30 to 44 gigawatt-hours annually, assuming additional projects are completed at the plant, says Rachel Dibble, Bonneville Power Administration’s vice president of generation asset management.
BPA is the ratepayer-funded federal agency that supplies power to many electric cooperatives and public utility districts throughout the Pacific Northwest. Most of that power comes from dams in the Columbia Basin—including Ice Harbor Dam.
Ice Harbor Dam was built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the late 1950s, and its first turbine units started operating in 1961. In addition to the dam and powerhouse, the facility includes a spillway, navigation lock, two fish ladders, a removable spillway weir and a juvenile fish bypass facility.
In 2022, after the first new turbine was installed and tested, the Corps reported increased efficiency of 3-4%, and juvenile salmon that passed through the turbine had a direct survival rate of more than 98%. The second installed turbine—which has an adjustable blade design instead of a fixed blade—tested with a fish passage survival rate of nearly 97%.
To come up with the design, the Corps’ Walla Walla District collaborated with the Hydroelectric Design Center and the Engineering Research and Design Center. The process combined the Corps’ fish passage design and modeling expertise with Voith Hydro Inc.’s experience in manufacturing hydroelectric turbines. The new turbine design streamlines water flow, resulting in safer passage for fish and more efficient generation.
In addition to increased efficiency, the new turbines reduce maintenance costs, says Dylan Peters, public affairs specialist at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District.
“Due to their materials and construction, these turbines are more resistant to corrosion and cavitation,” Dylan says.
The Ice Harbor Dam turbine replacement’s success leads the way for efficiency projects at other dams in the Columbia Basin. Many hydroelectric facilities in the area are more than 50 years old and have turbines approaching their life expectancy.
Dylan says the Corps plans to replace all 14 turbine units at McNary Dam on the lower Columbia River. Turbine replacement is also under consideration at other Columbia Basin dams.
“As the United States’ premier civil works and engineering organization, USACE is constantly assessing how to improve our projects and the services they deliver to the nation,” Dylan says.
What It Takes to Run a Hydroelectric Dam
Born in Dayton, Washington, Ryan Laughery didn’t anticipate his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Washington State University would lead to a hydraulic engineering career in southeastern Washington.
Ryan joined the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and six weeks later, he was introduced to hydraulics at the Corps’ Engineer Research Development Center in Mississippi.
There, he learned about the branch of civil engineering focused on designing structures to manage water. The center provides on-the-job training and a chance for engineers to explore miniature versions of the massive structures they will improve.
During his more than 20 years with the Corps, Ryan helped design a temperature regulation structure and relocate a juvenile fish outfall pipe at Lower Granite Dam to reduce chances of small fish being eaten by predators. He also redesigned a fish ladder for the Mill Creek Project near Walla Walla, Washington.
“I was given the opportunity to fly,” Ryan says of his time working for the Corps.
Compared to structural engineering where formulas, methods and approaches are well-defined, hydraulics is an evolving field.
“They’re always open-minded and really allow you to dig into things and evaluate new approaches,” he says of his Corps’ colleagues. “There was no, ‘This is how you do things.’ In this field, we’re still trying to figure out fundamental relationships. And you have a lot more freedom, and we’re all learning together. I love that.”
Running a hydroelectric dam is no simple task. Ryan is just one of 270 employees with varying expertise who power the four lower Snake River dams. Dylan Peters, public affairs specialist at the Corps’ Walla Walla District, notes that some of the jobs—such as engineering, fish biology and environmental protection—require specific degrees. Others need education and experience in certain trades. Some employees—including power plant operators, mechanics and electricians—participate in apprenticeship programs.
While the dams are often known for their hydroelectric generating capabilities, Dylan says fish passage is an equal mission alongside hydropower generation, recreation and navigation at the four Snake River dams.
“No decision is made without considering the impacts to fish,” Dylan says.