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Oregon and Washington ports are deepening berths, bolstering rail and road routes and improving infrastructure as part of the Lower Columbia River dredging project.
After about 15 years worth of financial delays and legal challenges from environmental groups, work to deepen the first 13 mi. of the 103.5-mi. channel began in late June. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has contracted with Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. of Oak Brook, Ill., to lead the $151 million project, which is scheduled to be finished in 2007.
In 2003, ocean-going vessels on the Columbia River transported about $15 billion worth of U.S. products to world markets. A deeper channel means the ships will be able to carry a full load of commodities including grains, forest products, automobiles, paper products.
A coalition of six lower Columbia River ports - Portland and St. Helens, Ore., and Vancouver, Kalama, Longview and Woodland, Wash. - partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deepen the channel by 3 ft. The Columbia River Channel Coalition says the deepening is essential to the ports' ability to sustain a maritime industry that directly supports 40,000 jobs within the region at an average annual wage of $46,000.
Another 59,000 jobs are indirectly influenced by the maritime industry, according to the coalition.
In addition, proponents say the deepening will make Columbia River port calls more cost-effective for ocean carriers and Northwest businesses and farmers. Businesses and farmers are expected to save $18.8 million in transportation costs each year as a result of the project.
"We've been limited to partially filling vessels and now we'll be able to increase the cargo volume just by fully loading them, particularly at the grain elevator," Vowels said.
Sand dredged from the channel will be deposited at several sites along the river. One of them is at the Port of Vancouver USA, which has prepared a 40-acre site that will handle about 1 million cu. yds. of sand.
Dredge material will be scooped from the main channel by hopper dredge and, sort of like a large vacuum cleaner, hydraulically pumped into the disposal site. The sand in the dredge slurry will then settle out in the disposal site and clean water will return to the river.
The disposal site, located on parcel three in the port's Columbia Gateway development, previously was used for agricultural production. Designed to protect wetlands and other natural areas, it features a 12-ft.-high earthen berm around the perimeter, a settling weir and a submerged outfall to reduce the amount of solids returning to the river.
Rotschy Inc. of Yacolt, Wash., finished the site preparation in August. Berger/Abam Engineers Inc. of Portland provided engineering services, and Anchor Environmental, also of Portland, served as the environmental consultant.
Both the Vancouver and Portland ports will deepen container berths at their respective deep-water terminals to accommodate ships loaded for the 43-ft. draft. The Port of Vancouver plans to deepen about 2.5 mi. of waterfront to better serve its existing customers, said Derik Vowels, environmental project manager.
The Port of Portland in November will begin dredging the 40-ft. container berth at Terminal 6, its primary container and automobile handling terminal. The $1.5 million project is expected to be completed by the end of February.
In March, the port will install a third crane it purchased for the Terminal 6 facility. The additional crane will make loading and unloading the vessels more efficient as they carry heavier cargo loads into and out of the port, said Eric Hedaa, marine and business development media relations manager.
"We think we will see more cargo even just with the vessels that call here now," Hedaa said. "A bulk ship that is draft contained at 43 ft. can carry about 6,000 more tons of cargo. Hanjin Shipping, which calls here now, will be able to carry hundreds more additional containers because of the extra 3 ft."
A host of road and rail improvements, while not directly related to the channel deepening project, also will improve cargo movement at the ports in Portland and Longview.
The Port of Portland recently completed the Lombard overpass project, which allows trucks and other vehicles to reach terminals and the Rivergate Industrial District without stopping for trains.
The port will build the new six-track Ramsey Rail Yard and other rail improvements to reduce bottlenecks and ease cargo movement within the industrial district as well.
The Port of Longview recently completed a $21 million industrial rail corridor that improves rail connections to its 150-acre marine terminal complex and 300-acre industrial park.
For cargo shippers, the rail corridor means a more efficient transportation network for cargo movement because it improves the dispatch of vessels loading bulk commodities, provides direct access for unit trains, reduces switchyard handling and potential delays, adds additional storage and provides greater operational flexibility for the port.
"It's all certainly related in terms of investments we're making to handle more bulk cargo," said Ken O'Hollaren, the port's executive director and Columbia River Channel Coalition chairman. "It's unlikely we would have made these investments without the channel deepening."
In addition to improving the region's economic competitiveness, the Columbia
River channel deepening includes several fish and wildlife habitat restoration measures.
The Corps of Engineers completed the first ecosystem restoration project in September 2004 with the excavation of about 620 cu. yds. of sand near Longview to provide passage for juvenile salmon migrating to the Pacific Ocean.
The project also included restoration of tidal marsh, wetlands, native riparian vegetations and fish access to spawning streams in the estuary.
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