News Release
| Release Number: | 04-222 |
| Dated: | 12/9/2004 |
| Contact: | Matt Rabe, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore. - Work will begin in 2005 to deepen the lower Columbia River by 3 feet, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced today.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2005, which President Bush signed into law on Dec. 8, includes $9 million for the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project.
The Corps and the Columbia River ports sponsoring the project met in early December to discuss the available options. They agree that the $9 million federal appropriation, combined with a portion of the non-federal share provided by the states of Oregon and Washington, will enable the Corps to begin dredging to the new depth of 43 feet in the spring of 2005, and work on one of the mitigation sites, Webb Diking District.
Construction dredging would begin in the lower reaches of the river and the Portland/Vancouver area. Deepening of the navigation channel will take place at the same time the Corps performs it routine maintenance work on the navigation channel, thus providing a cost-savings for both aspects of the work.
Sand dredged to deepen the river will be placed at approved ocean and upland disposal sites, and at in-water locations.
When the construction dredging that is now planned for the lower and upper reaches of the river takes place, the Corps and the ports anticipate about 25 miles of the 103-mile navigation channel will be dredged to the new depth of 43 feet by the end of calendar year 2005. Less than half of the navigation channel requires deepening; the rest of the channel is naturally deep enough.
In September, the Corps completed the first environmental restoration project that is part of the overall Channel Improvement Project. The Corps will continue other environmental work during fiscal year 2005, including Hump-Fisher, Bachelor Slough and Shillapoo Lake.
The $9 million appropriation marks the largest Congressional appropriations for the Channel Improvement Project: other recent appropriations include $4.5 million in fiscal year (FY) 2001, $2 million in FY2003, and $3.5 million in FY2004.
The Corps began studying the idea of improving conditions in the lower Columbia River to improve the efficiency of moving trade goods in 1989. Congress authorized the project in 1999. In 2001, the Corps further addressed concerns about impacts to aquatic species listed on the Endangered Species Act and the economic impact of the project. In 2004, Congress re-emphasized its support for the project, and the Corps issued its Record of Decision and entered into a project cooperation agreement with the port authorities along the lower Columbia River.
Constructing the project will cost an estimated $151 million and will provide an economic benefit to the United States of $18.8 million each year.