Power, Purpose, and Pride: Andy Michel and the Legacy of Ice Harbor Dam

At 6 feet 5 inches tall, Andy Michel is a big man—yet even he is dwarfed by the towering presence of Ice Harbor Lock & Dam. As a Senior Power Plant Operator and part-time history buff, Andy knows this dam inside and out. And if you’ve got the time (and the right shoes), he’s happy to show you every inch of it.

“As an operator, it’s critical to know my plant,” said Michel. “I guess you could say I’m the arms, legs, eyes, and ears of this place.”

For 12 years, Michel has walked the corridors and turbine decks of Ice Harbor, learning its systems, appreciating its scale, and respecting the purpose it serves.

Located more than 130 river miles west of Lewiston, Ice Harbor was the first of the Lower Snake River Dams, completed in 1961. Towering 213 feet and stretching nearly 3,000 feet across, this engineering marvel delivers hydropower to the Pacific Northwest and serves as a vital artery for river navigation. Barges filled with grain, logs, fertilizer—even wind turbine blades—travel between the Port of Lewiston and the Pacific Coast thanks to this system.

“Each dam has its part to play,” Michel said. “All locks and dams in the river system work together, and everything we do is carefully coordinated.”

From Magic Water to Megawatts

Michel’s story began on a farm in Othello, WA, where irrigation from the Columbia Basin Project—fueled by the Grand Coulee Dam—turned desert into farmland. As a kid, he called the canal running past the fields the “ditch of magic water.”

“Without Grand Coulee Dam, our family farm wouldn’t have existed,” he said.

After trying his hand at retail, Michel pursued an electrical maintenance degree at Spokane Community College. That leap led him to an apprenticeship with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) at Chief Joseph Dam, where he began his career in hydropower. From there, he moved through Bonneville, McNary, and finally, Ice Harbor.

“When the apprentice position was offered to me, I didn’t have a lot to lose,” Michel said. “God had a plan for me.”

A System That Serves Everyone

Today, Michel lives in Kennewick with his wife Josie and daughters Myli and Izzie, taking pride in a job that powers homes, supports farming, and keeps commerce flowing. The Columbia-Snake River System supplies 60% of the region’s energy, with Ice Harbor playing a critical role in keeping the lights on across the Tri-Cities.

“I work with amazing people who make me want to come to work every day,” he said. “And I know what I do matters.”

Ice Harbor also helps maintain navigation along the Marine Highway M-84, connecting Eastern Washington and Idaho to the Pacific. Without these dams, cargo couldn’t move safely and efficiently—and communities might literally be left in the dark.

Past, Present, and Future

Michel gestures across the dam’s massive infrastructure: vintage control panels from the 1960s sit beside state-of-the-art systems. That blend of past and present is intentional.

“You have to know how it used to work to understand how it works now,” he said. “I take a lot of pride in sharing what I’ve learned.”

Currently, the Ice Harbor team is replacing one of the dam’s original turbines with a new model designed to improve fish passage. One generator rotor alone weighs 500 tons. While only 7% of migrating salmon pass through the turbines, the new design aims to increase survival rates—part of a long history of fish-focused innovation.

“Even before the first bucket of concrete was poured, they were thinking about fish passage,” said Michel.

Ice Harbor features two fish ladders, a juvenile bypass, a spillway weir, and meticulous fish counting protocols. Every day, operators like Michel make decisions based on fish behavior—from choosing spillway gates to scheduling maintenance.

“Every day—and I mean every day—we’re working to improve fish passage.”

Sharing the Story

For Michel, this isn’t just a job. It’s a legacy worth defending and sharing.

“I’ll take every opportunity to tell people what we do here,” he said. “These dams serve everyone—whether they realize it or not.”

And with operators like Andy Michel walking the decks, keeping systems running and stories alive, the Columbia-Snake River dams remain not only vital—but in very good hands.