PNWA FY2011 navigation priorities released
Last Monday, the Administration's budget was released for the 2011 fiscal year, which will begin on October 1, 2010. PNWA has spent the past week reviewing funding levels for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers federal navigation projects in the Pacific Northwest, and we have communicated with staff from the Portland, Walla Walla, Seattle, and San Francisco Districts to discuss individual projects.
For FY2011, there is a mix of adequately funded and underfunded projects in PNWA's portfolio. Aside from the encouraging news that many projects were funded for ongoing operations and maintenance, following are additional positive items from the budget:
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$137M for Columbia and Willamette River fish mitigation efforts, to comply with the BiOp
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$4.6M to help fund gate replacement at The Dalles
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$3.5M for the Programmatic Sediment Management Plan (PSMP) dispersed over the four Snake River projects
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$2.4M for large scale concrete repair for the navlock walls at Lower Monumental
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$1M for clean-up at the U.S. Moorings federal dredge berths in Portland
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$750K for a modeling of a cap for the north and south jetties of the Columbia River, and environmental clearances
We have also identified projects that will require additional funding through the appropriations process this year. PNWA will be advocating for funding increases for the following projects:
Deep draft:
Columbia River at the Mouth (MCR), OR/WA
Columbia & Lower Willamette below Vancouver & Portland (C&LW), OR/WA
Columbia River between Vancouver & The Dalles, OR/WA
Skipanon Channel (Port of Astoria), OR
Coos Bay (Port of Coos Bay), OR
Yaquina Bay & Harbor (Port of Newport), OR
Duwamish/Seattle Harbor, WA
Lake Washington Ship Canal, WA
Humboldt Harbor & Bay (Port of Humboldt Bay, CA)
Inland Columbia/Snake:
John Day Lock & Dam
McNary Lock & Dam
Ice Harbor Lock & Dam
Lower Monumental Lock & Dam
Little Goose Lock & Dam
Lower Granite Lock & Dam
Shallow draft:
Tillamook Bay & Bar (Port of Garibaldi, OR)
Siuslaw River (Port of Siuslaw, OR)
Umpqua River (Port of Umpqua, OR)
Swinomish Channel (Port of Skagit County, WA)
Columbia River at Baker Bay (Port of Ilwaco, WA)
Columbia River b/t Chinook & Sand Island (Port of Chinook, WA)
Please follow this link to the PNWA FY2011 energy & water appropriations request overview, which reflects all of our supported projects in the region, the amount they received in FY2010, the funding they were proposed to receive in the FY2011 budget, any additional monies we are seeking, and our total FY2011 request. PNWA members and staff will be in Washington DC in early March for our 2010 Mission to Washington to advocate for these projects.
The Columbia River jetty rehab project is included in the "Columbia River at the Mouth" O&M project in the budget. As Nor'wester readers will remember, on January 13th we announced that the jetty rehab project is ready to move forward, and is expected to take twenty years to complete. PNWA will be requesting additional funding in the appropriations process to allow the Corps to begin on this project in FY2011. Specifically, PNWA will be strongly supporting funding for plans/specs and placement of material at base of south jetty ($5.5M), north jetty culvert design and replacement ($2M); and design, agency technical review and prep work for north jetty lagoon fill ($750K).
We look forward to another successful year of partnership with the Northwest Congressional delegation in working to achieve the highest funding levels possible for Northwest water projects. Please contact us with any questions you may have.