U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allows dredging for Columbia River
The port of Portland, Ore. has welcomed a favorable decision by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to allow the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project.
The channel deepening planned in the project will allow more efficient shipping of Pacific Northwest products worldwide, said Sam Ruda, port of Portland marine director.
Backed by the states of Oregon and Washington, the Columbia River project has received all the necessary state and federal approvals, and may proceed after a cost-sharing agreement is signed.
The issuance of the Corps of Engineers’ record of decision Jan. 9 cleared the way for the Corps’ Portland district to begin work improving the federal navigation channel that stretches 103 miles between the Pacific Ocean and Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash. The project includes deepening the navigation channel from 37 feet to 40 feet, and constructing several ecosystem restoration features.
The port of Portland reported that the Columbia River profit also received a recent funding boost as President Bush signed the fiscal year 2004 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act, which included $3.5 million for the channel project. State funding for channel deepening is also fully in place, the port said.
The project’s next step is signing the Project Cooperation Agreement between the federal government and the six port sponsors. Additional federal appropriations will then be required to complete project construction, the port of Portland said.