We visited Bonneville Dam a bit late in October, knowing we were at the tail end of the season for seeing fish.We still got to see some.
That is the underground portion of the fish ladder. It is beautiful from above, and I can watch running water for a long time, but from above you are unlikely to spot fish.
That may be completely different at the peak of migration. As it was, we still got to see salmon at different life stages, which were helpfully drawn out.
We even got to see the teeniest (pre?) baby salmon. Those little pink balls are not gravel.
Most of the displays focus on the salmon.
This was at least true at the Bradford Island Visitor Center, where we spent most of our time.
It is worth noting that the overall site is large, including two powerhouses, a lock, a spillway, and there is a visitor complex on the Washington side.
It is easy to forget how big the site is, though the signage is generally helpful.
As the site is operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers, there is a car check as you enter, looking for guns and drones. I did not take a picture of that guard booth, but here is an old one from WWII.
Most of the historic displays focus go farther back, with information about the dam's namesake, Captain Benjamine L.E. Bonneville, early fur traders, and Native Americans.
Outside, as you view the impressive scenery, there is information about local wildlife, and the sudden shift in climate as it goes from the temperate rain forest of the Willamette Valley to semiarid Eastern Oregon.
As an obvious school field trip destination, you can see the many different types of field trip experiences. I don't remember my class ever coming, but my sisters' class did.
Observing the scenery, it was impossible not to think about the 2017 Eagle Creek fire and the pointless destruction, much of which is still visible. It is still breathtakingly beautiful.
Accessibility: The Visitor Center has four levels -- all with elevator access -- and accessible bathrooms. There are also wheelchairs that can be used at the entrance, and I appreciated that there were sharps disposal containers in the bathroom.
COVID: No, other people were not wearing masks. I am getting tired of typing that, where I have almost thought it was not worth tracking anymore if precautions are no longer being taken by any site. However, there was this sign:
I don't know that wearing a mask makes me a hero, but I will keep doing it and I will keep reporting on the risk until that risk seems to be gone. (Or until it just becomes a communicable disease risk because there are competing plagues.)
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