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In 2004, ocean-going vessels on the Columbia River transported $16 billion worth of U.S. products to and from world markets. The commodities these ships carry include millions of tons of grains, mineral bulks such as potash and soda ash, breakbulks such as steel and forest products, automobiles from Honda, Toyota, Hyundai and Subaru, and containerized freight such as clothing, electronics, animal feed and paper products, which are carried in 20-, 40- and 45-foot containers.
Columbia River maritime activity directly supports 40,000 jobs in our region with an average annual wage of $46,000, and positively influences an additional 59,000 jobs. Critical to the sustainability of these jobs and this economic activity is the depth of the 103.5-mile-long Columbia River navigation channel. At 40 feet, it is not currently deep enough to allow many bulk and container ships to access Columbia River ports fully loaded.
To enable today's modern fleet of large, fuel-efficient, deep-draft ships to continue transporting imports and exports via the Columbia, a coalition of six lower river ports is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to deepen the navigation channel by three feet. The sponsor ports are Portland and St. Helens in Oregon; and Kalama, Longview, Vancouver and Woodland in Washington. In support of the coalition's efforts are hundreds of committed stakeholders, including individuals, businesses and organizations.
More than 200 business, labor, agriculture, maritime, government and community organizations support deepening the channel to 43 feet. The additional draft will allow Columbia River ports to be more competitive in attracting and retaining the deep-draft ships now dominating world trade routes. Attracting and retaining these ships is critical to sustaining not only our region’s jobs, but also the ability of our region’s businesses to remain competitive in a global marketplace.
In addition to serving as a gateway for our region's imports and exports, the Columbia River is a critical habitat for several runs of endangered Pacific Northwest salmon and steelhead. Through careful stewardship and environmental improvements, the ports of the Columbia River and other waterway advocates are working to implement programs that ensure continued harmony between freight and fish.
Embodied in the improvement project are a host of fish and wildlife habitat restoration measures. The Corps completed the first ecosystem restoration project in September of 2004 when they excavated sand from the downstream end of Lord-Walker Island, near Longview, Wash., to provide passage for juvenile salmon during their migration to the Pacific Ocean.
Because the Columbia River Channel Deepening Project will provide national transportation and trade improvements, as well as regional and statewide benefits, funding will come from several sources: federal appropriations, the governments of Oregon and Washington State, and local sponsoring ports.
The total cost of the proposed project is $150.5 million. The states of Oregon and Washington have appropriated $27.7 million each in matching funds for the local cost share. The remaining funding will come from federal appropriations. Congress provided the largest of four appropriations in the FY2005 budget - $9 million. President Bush included $15 million for the project in the FY2006 budget request.
Dredging to deepen the channel began on June 25, 2005. In the first year of deepening work, the Corps' dredging contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Docks and the Port of Portland's Dredge Oregon deepened 28 miles of the channel to 43 feet - more than 25 percent of the 103.5-mile channel.
For more information regarding this important project, visit the Columbia River Channel Coalition (CRCC) Web site or contact the CRCC at 503.285.6343.
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