Posted on October 21, 2026
By Joshua Glenn
On Oct. 7, Lee Forsgren, Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works met with Lt. Col. Douglas Droesch, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District and operations personnel from the district and the Northwestern Division for an in-depth tour of McNary Lock and Dam.
McNary Lock and Dam placed its 14 generators into service 72 years ago, producing enough power at full capacity for nearly 700,000 homes. After decades of electricity production, the Walla Walla District is modernizing infrastructure at the powerhouse, navigation lock and spillway cranes to continue supporting communities across eastern Washington. With several construction projects underway, the McNary Modernization project, also known as “McMod,” has become a top priority for the district.
“Though not the primary purpose of a dam, here at McNary, hydropower is not an optional part of its infrastructure,” said Forsgren. “Through ‘Building Infrastructure, Not Paperwork,’ the team here is focused on modernization of McNary Dam’s essential systems to deliver long-term, reliable power that keeps communities running, supports industry, and helps strengthen the nation for decades to come.”
The McNary powerhouse represents a bottleneck along the Columbia River’s main stem because river flow routinely exceeds the powerhouse’s discharge capacity. As a result, power generation is significantly reduced whenever a main unit is out of service. Maintenance during required outages depends on coordination among multiple schedules, contractors and personnel.
The McNary Turbine Design and Replacement Project includes redesigning and replacing turbine runners for Units 1 through 14 and rewinding three generators. Replacing the existing Kaplan turbines with stainless-steel, fixed-blade units will increase hydropower generation efficiency while improving fish passage and migration rates in the Columbia River. Unit 1 and the major components for Unit 14 have already been delivered to the powerhouse.
“With new engineering design requirements, we’ll have increased safety factors throughout the dam,” said Paul Ocker, chief of operations of the Walla Walla District. “It’s fixed blade, so there are fewer components to maintain.”
In addition to powerhouse improvements, the McMod project will upgrade the dam’s downstream navigation lock. As one of five high-lift inland locks in the Walla Walla District, it facilitates the transit of more than 51 million tons of commodities annually and powers a $25 billion shipping and tourism economy.
Modernization isn’t just replacing old parts; it’s about reinforcing national infrastructure and ensuring the Pacific Northwest remains resilient against rising energy demands. While work continues throughout McNary, the Walla Walla District remains committed to exploring ways to support the nation.
