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Dredging: Colombia River, Port Everglades, Redwood City

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Columbia River Channel Deepening Study Shows $1.08 Billion in Investments Since Project Completion

In November 2010, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed the Columbia River Channel Improvement Project to deepen the 110-mile Lower Columbia River navigation channel from 40 to 43 feet. The 20-year project was completed at a cost $183 million through the combined efforts of the federal government, the States of Oregon and Washington and the ports of Portland, Vancouver, Longview, Kalama, Woodland and St. Helens. The goal was to make the region competitive in the long-term and ensure that the infrastructure was in place to handle projected growth and increased cargo movement. 

Impacts of the Channel Deepening on the Columbia River, a study co-sponsored by the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA) and the Port of Portland shows that more than $1.08 billion in public and private investments have been made since completion of the project. That includes more than $500 million invested in the seven grain export facilities on the Lower Columbia River to ensure that the system can handle an increase in wheat, corn and soy products. Other investments include improved rail and freight handling facilities, additional tugs and barges, and a large floating dry dock. Proposed developments for the river system could mean an additional $5.15 billion in investments. 

"The Columbia River Channel Improvement Project is the perfect example of how to make smart infrastructure investments and proves that if you build it, they will come," said PNWA Executive Director Kristin Meira. "In just five years, we've seen more investment on the Lower River than any of us could have imagined. The Columbia Snake River System is an incredible resource that provides farmers as far away as the Midwest access to international markets. The deepening project was key to ensuring we are ready to handle more cargo than ever before."

"Seventy-seven percent of the port's current business is related to the movement of agricultural and mineral bulks with the balance coming from autos and other cargos," said Curtis Robinhol, deputy executive director of the Port of Portland. "The deepening of the channel has led to an increase in volumes of bulks at our facilities since ships can travel more fully loaded. In turn, our customers have taken notice and invested in their facilities on our properties to expand their own capacity – a win for our customers and for the port. The ROI on the deepening project is something we can all take great pride in."

As the study indicates, the deepening project supports the entire Columbia Snake River System, a national trade corridor that connects farmers and manufacturers with international markets. The Columbia/Snake is a major gateway for wheat and soy exports. The inland barging system moves over 9 million tons of cargo annually and feeds the Lower Columbia River export gateway, which handles 46 million tons of cargo annually, valued at more than $24 billion.  

Port Everglades Deepening and Widening Project Approved 

A newly-signed Chief of Engineers Report from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers clears the way for Port Everglades to begin the next phase of deepening and widening its channels. It also allows the project to be included in federal legislation expected in 2016 that will authorize similar water and navigation-related projects. 

"After almost two decades of study and research, we are confident that the Corps has developed a plan that keeps Port Everglades competitive globally so that jobs are sustained and created locally," said Broward County Mayor Tim Ryan. "The plan also uses innovative solutions to address valid environmental concerns that have been raised by environmental stakeholders."

The project is designed to enable safe passage of deep draft post-Panamax cargo ships – vessels too large to transit the current Panama Canal. Port Everglades already handles post-Panamax ships from Europe and South America, but the ships must be light loaded because of the channel’s current depth. 

The project will deepen the main navigational channels from 42 feet to 48 feet (plus one foot required and another foot of allowable overdepth for a total of 50 feet), and deepen and widen the entrance channel and parts of the Intracoastal Waterway so that cargo ships can safely pass docked cruise ships.

The project study received Congressional authorization in 1996. The signed and approved Chief's Report now allows Port Everglades to move forward to the Pre-Construction Engineering and Design phase.

A key environmental component of the approved plan includes planting approximately 103,000 new nursery-raised corals in 18 acres of existing reef areas, and relocating approximately 11,500 existing corals to create 2 acres of artificial reef, and create 3 acres of artificial reef habitat for natural recruitment which will replace nearly 15 acres of existing hard-bottom reef habitat. At Broward County's recommendation, the Corps and the National Marine Fisheries Services developed a "blended" plan that includes traditional and more innovative approaches to environmental mitigation.

The mitigation plan also includes restoring seagrasses and mangroves in West Lake Park, and building environmentally friendly bulkheads throughout the Southport Access Channel. 

"The natural underwater environment is a priority for Port Everglades. It is critical to the port that the mitigation plan includes progressive approaches coupled with those that have a proven track record for replenishing and enhancing sensitive reef habitat," said Port Everglades Chief Executive & Port Director Steven Cernak, PPM®. "I want to credit the Corps, the National Marine Fisheries Service and a multitude of environmental organizations for going back to the drawing board several times to develop an innovative approach to reef mitigation that will put Broward County in the forefront of environmental research and development."

The project is anticipated to create an estimated 4,700 total construction jobs and nearly 1,500 permanent direct jobs locally from the additional cargo capacity. The estimated cost is $374 million, which will be paid with Port Everglades revenue generated from port user fees, federal appropriations and state grants. No local property taxes will be used because Port Everglades is a self-funded enterprise of Broward County. 

Redwood City: Channel Dredging Update

Phase Two of the $12.8 million maintenance dredging at the Port of Redwood City's Redwood Creek channel by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' contractors is underway, and by the time Phase Three is completed this winter, the channel will be dredged to its authorized depth of 30 feet for the first time since December 2009.

The first phase dredged the channel to 28 feet and was completed last December. The depth is crucial for port channel users. Port officials have been working with the Corps to perform this dredging to increase allowable draft for ships. When Phase One started in September of last year, the safe navigation depth of 22 feet was causing extra costs and logistics problems for the cargo shippers at the port.

"Increasing the depth of the channel by six feet meant that the cargo carrying capacity of the ships calling at the port increased by 10,000 to 12,000 tons per ship," said Port Executive Director Michael Giari.

Phase two of the dredging project, which should be completed by early August, will bring most of the channel depths down to the project authorized depth of minus 30 feet. Due to limited funding and limits on how much dredged material can be placed in San Francisco Bay, phase three will dredge remaining high spots in the channel and place the material at an approved deep ocean site.

The Panamax size ships calling at the port with construction material from British Columbia have fully loaded drafts of greater than 40 feet. A recent Army Corps of Engineers study concluded that every ocean going ship that calls at the port has a loaded design draft greater than 30 feet. The shippers have to light load and have told the port that every foot of increased channel depth helps them to be more efficient and carry more cargo.

The port's tonnage has been steadily increasing since 2009 and last year reached 1.8 million metric tons. The majority of the cargo is construction materials to supply the many major construction projects, underway and planned for the Redwood City area and Silicon Valley.

CSL’s 71,405 DWT self-discharging bulk carrier Rt. Hon. Paul E. Martin, shown here in the Redwood City turning basis, will be able to deliver more cargo once the channel is restored to project depth.
Photo/Port of Redwood City
 

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