Boaters on the lower Columbia River downstream of McNary Lock and Dam should be aware of dangers of extra ice chunks flowing downstream into the river from the north shore Washington fish ladder beginning today and lasting for the next 7-10 days, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officials announced.
The dam and fish ladder are on the Columbia River just upstream of the I-82 McNary Bridge near Umatilla.
Thick ice recently formed in the fish ladder during routine annual fish ladder maintenance during January. As water is added back into the ladder, the thick ice in the ladder is expected to partially melt and break up, eventually floating free as chunks of ice. The ice chunks will likely float downstream toward John Day Dam and beyond.
This ice emerging from the Washington shore fish ladder in coming days is in addition to ice already on the river due to the very cold weather in recent weeks.
