Grain barges are again flowing on the Columbia River after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers fixed a broken lock on the Bonneville Dam sooner than expected.
The Corps shut down the dam in early September when crews found a crack on the sill of one of its massive locks, which allow barges to navigate the Columbia. About $2 billion worth of grain, logs, and freight gets shipped through the dam, including 60 to 65 percent of Washington wheat.
As a result of the lock problem, farmers from Washington, Idaho, and Oregon had to wait to ship their wheat.
The concrete sill that cracked on the lock at Bonneville is similar to a rubber threshold on the bottom of a door. Just as that rubber strip creates a seal to keep cold air and moisture from leaking in under the door, the concrete sill creates a seal to keep water in the lock.
Corps officials expected to fix the lock by September 30th but finished the project a few days early. (Spokesman-Review)
