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Hood River News Editorial
November 25, 2006
The channel now goes two directions.
The path of the Hood River, that is, where it meets the Columbia, has
diverged to the west and east.
The sight is a strange one, whether you are newcomer to the area, or a
longtime resident. In recent years we have been used to seeing
sandbars morph in and out at the mouth, caused in large part by
fluctuations in the Columbia River volume — the actions of humans.
But this new formation at the mouth is something different. Mother
Nature has created an island, as if out of some indecision, putting a
“Y” where a crooked “I” used to be, when the flood washed down on Nov.
7-8.
Because of the debris, the resulting hydro-geological formation puts a
stop, for now, on tour boat visits that stimulate the economy and help
make Hood River such a vibrant place.
The sedimentation of the river mouth comes at the same time that Mt.
Hood Meadows remains closed by the Highway 35 washout. Businesses
throughout the county are definitely feeling that pinch.
Back at the mouth of the Hood River, this time of year the boat
schedule is nearly empty anyway, so there is time to act.
The Port of Hood River has received bleak preliminary indications that
dredging is out of the question, for now, and no one knows yet if
relief funding will be available anyway. Port and County officials
began taking necessary steps to qualify for assistance immediately
after the storm.
Meanwhile, the damage to the irrigation districts is far larger, at
least in any monetary terms currently available; there is real
teamwork going on between agencies and groups involved with
agriculture and the vital year-round water supply.
Attention must be sustained at the damage at both ends of the river.
Regarding the changes at the mouth of the Hood River, we encourage the
Port and County to keep bending the ear of the governor, the Corps of
Engineers, and FEMA in it’s visit next week, to expedite some way to
deal with this problem.
If the river can take a new direction, humans can find a new course of
action in this case.
Environmental concerns must be addressed along with the economic ones,
but with the right kind of conversations with those who hold purse and
policy strings, repairs at the mouth of the Hood River should be a
relatively straightforward fix. It would be one that can help ease the
harsh impacts on the economy of Hood River County. |
