Tribes raise concerns over Columbia River dredging impacts
Tribal leaders say decades of dredging and river engineering have harmed salmon habitat, cultural resources and treaty-protected species in the Columbia estuary
Tribal leaders and environmental advocates are raising concerns about the long-term effects of dredging in the Columbia River estuary, according to reporting by High Country News. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers removes 6 million to 9 million cubic yards of sediment from the lower Columbia River each year to maintain a shipping channel used for commercial navigation. Tribal leaders say the practice has contributed to habitat loss, declining fish populations and impacts to culturally significant species including salmon, lamprey and sturgeon.
According to the High Country News reporting, tribal representatives from the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, the Yakama Nation and the Chinook Indian Nation have questioned the Corps' current sediment management plan and called for greater consultation. Federal agencies reviewing the plan found dredging activities are expected to affect some aquatic species, while tribal leaders expressed concerns about impacts to cultural resources, fisheries and river ecosystems. The Corps maintains that dredging is necessary to support navigation and commerce along the Columbia River.
- 1.Josephine Woolington. High Country News, .
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