USACE Solicits Contract for Dalles Dam Oil Monitoring Improvements in Oregon

18 November 2025: The solicitation drawings and the reference drawings (13 total drawing files) are attached. SYNOPSIS The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Portland District is soliciting a Contract for The Dalles Dam Oil Accountability Measures in the Dalles, Oregon. The proposed project will be a competitive, firm-fixed price (FFP) contract. Background: The Dalles Dam is located in The Dalles, Oregon.

The Dalles Dam (TDA) is a concrete gravity run-of-the-river dam spanning the Columbia River, two miles east of the city of The Dalles, Oregon, United States. It joins Wasco County Oregon, with Klickitat County Washington, 300 miles upriver from the mouth of the Columbia River near Astoria, Oregon. The project is designed to improve the monitoring of the amount of oil that could be released into the Columbia River.

Its main objective is to minimize the oil release. Purpose: There are approximately 400,000 gallons of oil at the TDA powerhouse. Oil monitoring measures currently consist primarily of visual observations of sight glasses, observations of oil leaks on and around equipment, and purchase and disposal records of lubricants.

The Federal Government agreed to develop and apply an Oil Accountability Plan (OAP) pursuant to the August 2014 settlement agreement with Columbia Riverkeepers. The OAP is intended to account for oils and greases used, including the oils and greases used in turbines, wicket gate bearings, and fish-way equipment.

This project would improve the ability to consistently and reliably account and monitor leakage of oils through automated systems and greatly increase the timeliness of level monitoring. It would also assist in fulfilling the requirements of the Portland Districts Standing Environmental Policy 200-1, Oil Accountability while significantly reducing the O&M costs to do so.

The purpose of this project is to improve accuracy and increase automation of instrumentation to account for oil in oil-filled equipment, bulk storage containers, and high-risk equipment. It is also to aid in the identification of oil leaks as early as possible and fully account for potential leaks.