Lock shutdown extended four days by snag at The Dalles

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced last week delays in the fabrication of the new lock gate for The Dalles dam will extend the closure of the Snake and Columbia rivers transportation system four more days.

Originally set to re-open March 19, the locks upstream of the Dalles will now remain closed through March 23.

The river system has been shut to freight traffic since Dec. 10, while the corps replaces lock gates at the Dalles and John Day dams on the Columbia River and at Lower Monumental on the Snake River. Farmers have delayed shipping their grain until the dams open.

Locks at McNar...