John Day Dam – Oregon/Washington
The John Day Dam is a concrete gravity run-of-the-river dam in the northwest United States that spans the Columbia River. The dam has a navigation lock as well as fish ladders on both sides.
The John Day Lock has the highest lift (110 feet) of any lock in the United States. Lake Umatilla is the reservoir created by the dam, and it extends 76.4 miles up the river channel to the foot of the McNary Dam. The John Day Dam is part of the Columbia River Basin dam system.
The John Day Dam lies 28 miles (45 kilometers) east of The Dalles, Oregon, and immediately below the mouth of the John Day River. Goldendale, 20 miles (32 kilometers) north, is the closest settlement on the Washington side. Rufus, Oregon is the closest town on the Oregon side. Its crest elevation is around 570 feet (170 meters) above sea level. It connects Sherman County, Oregon, with Klickitat County, Washington, 216 miles (348 kilometers) upstream from the Columbia River's mouth near Astoria, Oregon.
