04/28/05 Snake River dredging plan unveiled

US District Court Judge James Redden is expected to issue a ruling later this year on the Bush administration's Northwest salmon plan. Redden heard from supporters of the plan yesterday but he also heard from the state of Oregon and Indian tribes who say the four dams on the lower Snake River do hurt salmon and steelhead. While all of this is going on the Army Corps of Engineers issued its draft environmental impact statement on dredging the Snake and Clearwater Rivers near Lewiston. Historically the Corps has routinely maintained the navigation channel at the 14-foot depth authorized by Congress. Because channel maintenance has not occurred since 1999 the navigation channel is now as shallow as eight and a half feet at the port of Clarkston and 10.6 feet at Lewiston. Project manager Jack Sands says environmentalists have successfully blocked dredging efforts in recent years. SANDS "We would go ahead and target this winter for dredging activity that would clean out five locations within the lower Snake and Clearwater. The largest area, which is the primary concern is the federal channel in the confluence area where the Clearwater comes into the Snake River. That is the area where we'd be removing most of the material." Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott