the film forum library tutorial contact

Corps to Outline Summer Dredging Program in Ilwaco by CBB Staff Columbia Basin Bulletin - June 13, 2003

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will present information related to its 2003 dredging program for the mouth of the Columbia River on Thursday, June 19, in Ilwaco, Wash. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the Port of Ilwaco offices, 165 Howerton Ave., Ilwaco, Wash.

Corps officials will outline the schedule for dredging activities and the disposal locations for sand removed from the navigation channel. In addition, the Corps will explain a crab sampling study it is conducting - in cooperation with Pacific County - this summer in the area just south of the north jetty to collect biological information for the Benson Beach Phase III project.

"In February, we promised to come back to Ilwaco to lay out our plan for this dredging season," said Doris McKillip, project manager for the Corps. "This is an opportunity for boaters and the people of the coastal community to learn more about the Corps' plans before dredging actually begins."

By knowing when and where the dredges will be operating, recreational boaters and fishermen can minimize the risk to themselves and their equipment.

"Our dredge captains have always appreciated the cooperation they get from the crab fishing community, and their willingness to move crab pots out of the disposal and transit areas," McKillip said.

The Corps' contractor, Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, also known as NATCO, will begin dredging activities on or about June 25, as soon as the dredge Sugar Island arrives in the area. NATCO was awarded a $2.6 million contract to remove 1.5 million cubic yards of material from the navigation channel. Additional dredging will be performed by the Corps' dredge Essayons.

The Corps dredges the navigation channel each year to provide an avenue for safe transit across the Columbia River bar for large and small vessels. Navigation across the bar for commercial vessels supports local, regional and national economies.