Columbia River Channel Improvements Project and
Maintenance Dredging, Oregon and Washington USA
The Federal deep-draft navigation channel of the Lower Columbia River runs 105 miles from Astoria, Oregon upstream to Vancouver, Washington, and up the Willamette River 11.5 miles to Portland Harbor. Each year the Columbia River system carries over 50 million tons of cargo valued in excess of $21 billion USD to and from the Pacific Ocean.
The Columbia River Channel Improvements Project (CRCIP) involved new work dredging for Federal channel improvements on the lower 100 miles of the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington to accommodate the next generation of larger, deep draft vessels when they are fully loaded. Improvements included deepening the channel from 40 ft to 43 ft, and several widenings, from the Mouth of the Columbia River (MCR) to the Portland / Vancouver area. Maintenance dredging was also performed at the MCR. Offshore, in-channel and upland placement of dredged materials were based on economic (haul distance), and beneficial use considerations.
Serving in multiple roles for one of the CRCIP dredging contractors, Lally supported this major channel improvements project from tender through execution. During the pre-construction phases, Lally inspected dredged material confined disposal facilities (CDFs), weir structures and discharge pipelines at several island and upland sites, evaluated staging areas along the 100-mile project length, and engaged the subcontractor community. Lally assisted with development of Contractor Quality Control (CQC) plans; work scopes for key subcontractors including hydrographic surveyors, water quality monitoring, crew vessel, and tug and barge contractors; project staffing, and other mobilization activities.
The project employed the 11,000-cy trailing suction hopper dredge (TSHD) Stuyvesant, with a draft of 32 ft, to perform the work. Dredged materials were designated for placement in the MCR Deep Water Site (DWS) approximately 5 miles offshore, upland Confined Disposal Facilities (CDFs), and flow lanes adjacent to the channel, in river. Dredged material was also placed in the Shallow Water Placement Site (SWS), and the North Jetty Site just inside the Columbia River Bar Entrance, for beneficial use re-handling to nourish Benson Beach. In addition to the capital works dredging, disposal placement, and beneficial use of dredged materials, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Portland District (USACE) also managed critical ecosystem restoration and protection on the Columbia River as part of the CRCIP.
Later during the CRCIP construction, Lally was requested to serve as the Project Manager, for hopper dredge operations, quality control, and hydrographic survey, support vessel, and other subcontractors. Lally coordinated extensively with USACE Construction Oversight personnel and contractor operations teams to ensure the project was accomplished in conformance with the contract documents and stringent Oregon and Washington environmental permits. Lally also met with the U.S. Coast Guard on the USCGC buoy tender Fir to coordinate movement of aids-to-navigation, in order to facilitate the new project channel wideners. Oversight of a USACE pier rehabilitation located at Tongue Point, Astoria was also performed under this contract.
Services Provided
Field Investigations
Procurement Support
Work Plan Development
Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge Project Management
Coordination with USACE Construction Management Personnel
Water Quality, Hydrographic Survey, and Support Vessel Subcontractor Management
Location
Columbia River, Oregon and Washington, USA
Period
2006 – 2007