Posted on August 16, 2018
The Siuslaw River is the repository for water runoff from an area of approximately 775 square miles of the Central Oregon Coast Range, beginning in Cottage Grove 110 miles away, and continuing west and northwest until it meets the Pacific Ocean.
The effect of Pacific Ocean tides, technically known as the head of tides, is felt 26 miles upriver. This means that water flows inland from more than 100 miles away to the river and ocean water travels 26 miles upstream during tidal changes.
These movements of large amounts of water collect and bring all types of debris into the Siuslaw River. Most of the debris is comprised of wood, leaves and dirt from the forest. The majority of these materials settle on the river bottom and eventually make their way to the estuary in and around the Port of Siuslaw.
This accumulation is continual and eventually creates a navigational concern for recreational and commercial fishing launching from the port docks.
The problem of silt accumulation is highlighted when the situation at the North Jetty is considered. The accumulation levels of debris at the jetty is more dramatic and can have a significant negative impact on boaters trying to get to the open ocean, often making it impossible for larger boats cross the bar.
This situation can usually be dealt with by dredging the river bottom with equipment designed to operate in watery conditions, digging up and physically removing the river waste from the water. This process, while effective, is expensive.
The Port of Siuslaw is responsible for maintaining clear egress to and from the docks and slips at the port. It recently received good news that will make the navigation of the waterways to and from the ocean easier to use and safer.
U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio is the ranking member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and has been fighting to obtain funds for ports along the Oregon coast.
To that end, he sponsored and helped pass a bill that authorizes an additional $15 million, above what has been approved by the federal administration, for Oregon ports. $837,000 of this newly authorized money will make its way to the Florence area to dredge the route from the port to the open ocean.
DeFazio is an active advocate for the numerous small towns, like Florence, that count on the revenue from fisherman and tourists to sustain and grow their economy.
“Our ports along the Oregon coast are the lifeblood of coastal communities, and our coastal infrastructure supports communities all throughout the state,” DeFazio said. “These critical investments will boost safety for our recreational and commercial fishing fleet, as well as create and sustain thousands of jobs tied to cargo, recreation and industrial and other activities at Oregon’s ports.”
Port of Siuslaw Manager Dave Huntington was pleased to receive the news regarding the unexpected monies obtained by DeFazio, as the federal administration had designated no funding for water-related maintenance in Florence during this fiscal cycle.
Huntington discussed the work now underway at the port and the upcoming work at the North Jetty.
“We are in the process of doing a bathymetric survey where we plan to do some dredging, when our water works window opens, which is from October to February,” Huntington said.
This survey analyzes the depth of the river bottom and helps form a topographical map.
“We get approximately 5,000 cubic yards of sediment that collects in the port area on a yearly basis,” Huntington said. “I believe it’s been nine years since this marina has been dredged, so it is long overdue.”
Huntington went on to point out that the accumulation of debris is not only a hazard to safe navigation, but it is also a limiting factor in generating revenue for the port.
“There are certain sections of the dock where we can’t rent out slips at this time because it’s too shallow due to built-up sediment,” he said.
The solution to this problem begins with the work Huntington is doing, using a simple technique to map the dock area of the port. His decision to utilize equipment aboard his own boat will significantly simplify the overall process.
“We are using fish finders on my boat to map the bottom of the river throughout the marina,” he said. “We are marking GPS points and then taking a reading. Then we take the information from the bathymetric survey, which tells us after we dredge, how much material has been taken from the river.”
Huntington believes the need for dredging at small ports may have been missed in the federal budget, but not by DeFazio.
“Siuslaw, Gold Beach and Bandon were cut out of the of the budget this year, they actually had zero funding in Trump’s budget,” he said. “Peter Defazio is one of those guys that works very hard for small coastal ports like ours. He shows strong leadership on issues for our region, and this is a good example of that commitment. I think he understands how important dredging is to smaller ports that really depend on it, like the Port of Siuslaw.”
In April, De Fazio and U.S. senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley wrote a letter to Army for Civil Works Assistant Secretary R.D. James, urging the administration to fund critical navigation needs of Oregon’s small coastal ports.
The additional $5.6 million was authorized as a direct result of the Oregon delegation’s efforts.
These additional funds will all go to Oregon’s coastal ports.
“I’m pleased that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers included $837,000 for critical navigation needs to ensure the safety and navigability of the Siuslaw River, including dredging, jetty monitoring and infrastructure management,” DeFazio said, “These investments will ensure that the local recreational and commercial fishing fleet continues to have safe passage to fishing and crabbing grounds, and it will sustain jobs directly tied to economic activity at the Port of Siuslaw. This is exactly the type of infrastructure investment we need more of across the country and I will continue to fight for these smart investments on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.”
Source: Siuslaw News
