Dredging

by PSU student Emily McDonald

The point I make . . . is the channel-deepening is not fair to us folks downriver, especially people with lower incomes. Huhtala, Daily Astorian

The Corps of Engineers has been in the business of building dams and turning rivers into ditches for the past 50 years, but you know it's never too late to change. Wu, Daily Astorian

The dredge "Oregon" began operating in 1965 dredging the Columbia and the Rivergate Area.

Early dredging efforts started in 1864 at the mouth of the Columbia River. In 1898, the Portland I deepened the Columbia's main channel to 25 feet. Today the main river channel is up to 48 feet deep and 600 feet wide. Currently, the Port wants to deepen the channel to 55 feet, claiming that it helps northwest communities maintain a competitive edge on the Pacific Rim. The Port contends that dredging is not harmful to the environmental health of the river and that a deeper channel will allow larger ships to enter the Columbia and enhance the Port's economic position.

Many people in river communities disagree, claiming that dredging stirs up toxic sediments that have settled on the bottom of the river, and industrial waste is absorbed into the flesh of fish that are caught and consumed by some community residents. Moreover, larger ships increase riverbank erosion.

• How does dredging work?
• Ground Water Movement Chart
• Columbia River Channel Project Pamphlet
• Emily McDonald's Annotated Bibliography

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