Consequences of McNary Dam
From Now on, it'll be "full throttle" ahead in this county. East Oregonian, Diamond Anniversary Edition, April, 1950
. . . they had so much crops on the Columbia Basin that if they put any more crops over here the farmers would have went broke. So all of the sudden agriculture for McNary Dam was not there. . . even though the tube was under there to spill water. . . here, it was never used until five years ago. . . The only reason they did it five years ago is now they are trying to save the salmon from the Three Mile Dam. But that was back there in '48. But because of what happened at Moses Lake and all those places, agriculture water became a third choice. Power and transportation became one and two. My father went to meetings - they were opposing it. . . Sam Nobles, Umatilla resident since 1943, talking about the original 1948 Umatilla Basin Project, 1999
McNary
Dam brought many people to Umatilla and to the region. George Hash, mayor
of Umatilla in 1998, came to Umatilla to teach school in the 1950s. He
liked the town because jobs were available and neighbors knew one another.
Employment with Standard Oil brought Roy and Evie Gunsolley to Umatilla
in the 1950s. They later built a successful family-owned drive-thru restaurant
and became active members of the community. McNary also increased diversity
in the region as Hispanic people like Jose and Maria Rodriguez came to
work on farm lands irrigated by the Columbia River. Despite optimism,
Umatilla's boom days soon ended and by the 1970s the community faced the
negative effects of three decades of comprehensive Columbia River Development.
Above. Beavers near the McNary Dam nature trail, 1993. Photo courtesy
of Roy and Evie Gunsolley
Some other results that followed the construction of McNary Dam included:
- Relocation of the Union Pacific Railroad terminal from Umatilla to Hinkle
- Studies of the effects of turbines and spillways on fingerling salmon
- Recreational opportunities on Lake Wallula - swimming, boating, and trails
- Justification for other mid-Columbia projects, including John Day
Hermiston Herald article - "Effect of McNary Dam on Fingerlings Draws Study"
Hermiston Herald article - "Group seeks full utilization of McNary Features"
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