Introduction
Welcome to the website we have established to keep you informed about the current status of the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project.
The first dredging contract, phase one of the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project was completed in mid-February, 2006.
This work consisted of deepening the lower 18 miles of the Columbia River (river mile 3 to RM 21) and dredging work in the upper river from RM 95 to just past RM 104, and the first mile of Oregon Slough. With this completed work, more than 2.6 million cubic yards of sand was removed. The 28 miles dredged accounts for 25 percent of the project's 103-mile length.
The work was accomplished by Illinois-based Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., at a cost of $8.7 million. All quantities of sand dredged by Great Lakes' Sugar Island dredge were either calculated with pre- and post-dredged surveys or measured by hopper load. The hydrographic surveys were obtained using a multi-beam survey for added accuracy.
In the upper river the Sugar Island placed dredged material in front of the Port of Portland's Dredge "Oregon". The dredge Oregon pumped the dredged material to an upland disposal site in Vancouver Wash., (Gateway Disposal Site).
In January 2006, the dredge
The Corps is developing its bid documents for dredging work from RM 21 up to about RM 35 on the
The Columbia River Channel Improvement Project is a collaborative effort between the Corps and six lower river ports in Oregon and Washington to improve navigation in the Columbia River by deepening the navigation channel to accommodate the current fleet of international bulk cargo and container ships, and improve the condition of the Columbia River estuary through the completion of various environmental restoration projects.
The first ecosystem restoration project associated with the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project was completed in December 2004. The construction activities at
As with any major project in today's complex environmental, economic and political environment, this one has its supporters and its critics.
Years of study led the Corps to the plan recommended in its final report, issued August 1999, its final supplemental report, issued January 2003, and its Record of Decision, signed January 2004: deepen the 40-foot shipping channel by 3 feet to allow continued navigation access and the economic benefits of waterborne commerce along the length of the shipping channel, and improve the natural environment through the construction of several ecosystem restoration project -- specifically salmon habitat enhancement.
Although coordination with the public, special interest organizations and agencies has been an integral part of the process throughout the study, some groups and individuals bring the agency's traditional "construction" bias into discussions. Because of this perceived bias, they question the Corps' credibility in various aspects of the study, such as economics, sediment contamination and potential environmental effects.
This website will help you learn more about the Channel Improvement Project -- what has occurred, what is happening now, and potential next steps. Information here is presented to give you a factual portrait of the problems and concerns.
This site will be updated as new information is available. If you have ideas that would make this website more useful to you, please let us know.
You're invited to e-mail your comments or questions to the Portland District, DLL-CENWPQuestions@nwp01.usace.army.mil