Ice Harbor Lock and Dam is a hydroelectric, concrete gravity run-of-the-river dam in the northwest United States. On the lower Snake River in southeastern Washington, it bridges Walla Walla and Franklin counties. Located northeast of Burbank and east of Pasco, river mile 9.7, the dam's name comes from a tiny bay in the river where boats once tied up to wait for upstream ice-jams to break up. Construction began in June 1955; the main structure and three generators were completed in 1961, with an additional three generators finished in 1976. Generating capacity is 603 megawatts, with an overload capacity of 693 MW. The spillway has ten gates and is in length. Dam system Built and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Ice Harbor Dam is part of the Columbia River Basin system of dams. Visitor center Inside the dam on the south side of the river is a large visitor center that has been recently updated to include a new film "The Snake - River of Life" and a new modern interactive touch screen kiosk with information on the dam and recreational opportunities in the area. The visitor center also has a fish ladder viewing room which offers an excellent view of migrating salmon, steelhead, and shad. Due to security, visitors must pass through the security gate to gain access. Surrounding water bodies Lake Sacajawea, named for Sacajawea, is formed behind the dam. The lake stretches to the base of Lower Monumental Dam, upstream. The Wallula Channel, formed from the backup of Snake River entering the Columbia River just southeast of Pasco, runs downstream from the base of the dam. Navigation lock Single-lift wide long Climate The record for the highest temperature in Washington state, at , was tied at Ice Harbor Dam on August 5, 1961. The record, which was shared with Wahluke ( in 1928), was eventually surpassed on June 29, 2021, when Hanford reached . Northwest Infrastructure Proposal Since 2019 Representative Mike Simpson (R), representing central and eastern Idaho, has been working on and presenting the $33 billion Columbia Basin Fund, as a way to restore the endangered Columbia-Snake basin salmon, including the Snake River sockeye salmon, and steelhead. The plan was released in February 2021. The ultimate goal of the plan is to remove or breach (partial removal) four dams on the lower Snake River. This would involve the Ice Harbor, Lower Granite Dam,