Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA-03) announced today that she secured key federal funding for infrastructure projects on the Columbia and Cowlitz Rivers in a spending plan advanced by the U.S. House Appropriations Committee.
The FY22 Energy and Water Subcommittee Appropriations bill included two Southwest Washington community funding priorities: sediment monitoring of the Lower Cowlitz River, and a turning basin navigation improvement project on the Columbia River.
Southwest Washington project funding details:
Sediment monitoring of the Lower Cowlitz River – $918,000
“Cowlitz County communities know the great risk that flooding poses to their families, homes, and businesses. The federal government has a responsibility to help mitigate the risk of flooding caused by the buildup of sediment in the Lower Cowlitz River, and I’m making sure it lives up to that commitment. I’m pleased to have secured the federal funds to conduct crucial sediment monitoring that is needed to protect our communities,” Herrera Beutler said.
- This critical funding will allow the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to perform operations and maintenance work, as well as collect information on Lower Cowlitz River water levels and the sediment retention structure’s ability to protect Cowlitz County residents from potential devastating floods, resulting from the buildup of volcanic sediment in the river from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens.
Turning basin improvement project on the Columbia River – $200,000
“The Columbia River supports many jobs in our region and throughout the west, which underscores the need to make sure we can continue efficiently shipping goods up and down that waterway. I was pleased to secure critical funding that will aid in the construction of the Kalama turning basin to support our shippers, ports, tugboat operators, and to increase economic opportunity in Southwest Washington,” Herrera Beutler said.
- This funding will go toward a Herrera Beutler authored provision that authorized a feasibility study for a turning basin on the Columbia River near Kalama, known as the Lower Martin Bar, and the improvement of a turning basin near Longview. The addition of the turning basin near the Lower Martin Bar and improvements of the existing turning basin will increase cargo volume capacity and spur economic development in the region.