By SUE RYAN
News staff writer
February 25, 2008

Debris that filled in the Event Site in November 2006 will remain in place this summer at the waterfront.

Port of Hood River Director Michael McElwee said while the port had hoped to shift 9,000 yards of sand and rock this summer, that timeline has changed.

The port’s plan was to contour the edge of 3.9 acres of their land and remove sand from directly in front of the Event Site. The proposed actions would not have affected land under the jurisdiction of the Division of State Lands, which oversees the upper section of the delta jutting into the Columbia River.

Because contouring the delta would require in-water work, the port would have to have a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and complete the work by March 15.

That won’t happen this year because of environmental testing requirements and potential costs. The cutoff is set because of fishery runs in the Columbia River.

“The Event Site remains the most prominent, active windsurfing site in the Columbia Gorge; it’s important to the community and it’s important to preserve as a recreational entity,” McElwee said.

It may appear at first glance confusing as to why the port can’t proceed as a few hundred yards away from the Event Site dredging for an inset beach is underway at the Waterfront Community Park.

What changed were federal regulations governing sediment testing. The city applied for its dredging permit in January 2007 and sedimentation rules changed on March 13, 2007. That meant the Port of Hood River’s application came under the changed rules since they applied in November 2007.

“It’s the same process; some of the requirements have gotten more stringent,” said Karla Ellis, project manager for the Corps.

The requirement is regional for the Corps and is not due solely to the delta event or what is contained in the debris. Debris torrents cascaded off Mount Hood in November 2006 and approximately 25 acres of sand and rock came down the Hood River to land at the mouth.

McElwee said in addition to the sediment testing, which carries a yet-unknown cost; the port would also need to do a biological assessment.

He said the port will continue to look at the dredging permit issue for 2009. Part of the substance of the commission’s potential action is pinning down how much the studies would cost.

“We’re waiting for direction from the Corps. Once we receive word, determine the cost, then the commission will discuss how to proceed,” McElwee said.

“We wanted to accomplish maintaining the site but we’re still not sure if the costs justify the benefits.”

The other requirement, of a biological assessment, was a concern raised by several organizations during a public comment period last fall. The Mid-Columbia Field office of the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife expressed a concern that removal material would adversely affect fish species.

“The proposed sediment removal area is utilized by numerous fish species including ESA (Environmental Species Act) listed populations of steelhead, Chinook salmon, coho salmon and bull trout,” wrote Jason Seals, assistant district fish biologist.

Since its initial fan-shape formation in 2006, the delta has changed shape due to the force of wind and water. The relatively new land mass still has its share of studies ahead.

McElwee and Ellis said both of their respective entities are committed to working on a broader long-term delta management plan that is underway.