Corps of Engineers announces annual event

Bonneville Lock and Dam will host its fourth annual Great Electrifying Event on Saturday, Feb. 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Washington Shore Visitor Center, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has announced.

This free educational event is designed to teach the basics of electricity and how it is generated at Bonneville Lock and Dam. It is geared toward elementary and middle school students but informative and fun for the entire family.

Visitors will learn how different forms of energy work through hands-on activities and videos, and can take a tour inside Bonneville’s Powerhouse 2, which includes walking on top of two generators and partially inside one.

This event is one of many held nationwide to celebrate National Engineering Week.

To get to the Washington Shore Visitor Center, travel on Washington State Route 14 to milepost 39, then turn onto Dam Access Road about one mile west of the dam or three miles west of the Bridge of the Gods. Follow the signs to the visitor center.

Other visitor facilities are available on the Oregon side of the river off Interstate 84 at exit 40. The Bradford Island Visitor Center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitors also can stop by the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Fish Hatchery and catch a glimpse of Herman the Sturgeon.

For more information about Bonneville Lock and Dam, call 541-374-8820 or visit the Portland District website at: http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/Locations/ColumbiaRiver/Bonneville.aspx.