Critical dredging work on the federally managed Baker Bay channel at the Port of Ilwaco began Aug. 11 and continues through the rest of the month if the good weather holds.
But Port Manager Guy Glenn Jr., says more work will need to done to ensure the channel functions effectively into the future. The channel leads from the Columbia River into the busy Ilwaco marina which houses the commercial and recreational fleets and two commercial fish processing plants. Keeping it clear and deep is crucial to Ilwaco’s fishing community and the port’s continued survival, say port leaders.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which maintains federal channels such as Baker Bay, dredged the channel for the first time in years last year as Coast Guard boats and larger fishing boats reported that they were scraping bottom in places along the channel. This year, once again, the ports of Ilwaco and Chinook were on the Corps’ final project list, landing about $2.4 million between the two of them for dredge work.
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