A plan to deepen the Columbia River channel from Portland to the ocean
was put on hold last week when the National Marine Fisheries Service
reversed its “not likely to jeopardize” biological opinion on the
project in order to reopen a consultation process with the Army Corps of
Engineers.
Some hope NMFS’ reversal dooms the $196 million channel dredging
project, while others believe the decision will, at most, delay it.