Opinion ID: 3038513
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Columbia River Littoral Cell and Other

Text: Ongoing Projects A central concern of this appeal is the potential for various Corps projects to exacerbate coastal erosion. Historically, the Columbia River has drawn sand from inland areas and deposited it in the estuary, which in turn provided sediment to 100 miles of shoreline from Tillamook Head, Oregon to Point Grenville, Washington. This area is known as the Columbia River littoral cell. Over the past 120 years, various natural and human activities have reduced the amount of sand deposited in and throughout the littoral cell, contributing to erosion of the Oregon and Washington coasts. In addition to the projects described above, the Corps and other agencies currently operate several other projects in and around the Columbia River. Most relevant to this appeal is the Mouth of the Columbia River (“MCR”) project, which the Corps has operated since 1983. The MCR area is a 0.5-milewide navigation channel that runs for six miles through the entrance between the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River. As part of the MCR project, the Corps maintains a channel depth of 55 feet by removing approximately 4.5 million cubic yards of sediment every year. The Corps has placed material dredged from the MCR in four ocean disposal sites (referred to as Sites A, B, E, and F), which the EPA designated in 1977. To accommodate more material, Sites A, B, and F were expanded in 1993, and Site E was expanded in 1997. Recent analyses reveal that the disposal sites for material dredged from the MCR project have or will soon reach capacity. As mentioned, the channel deepening project includes a proposal for three new sites—the North Jetty Site, Shallow Water Site, and Deep Water Site—to accommodate material dredged from the MCR project, as well as from the navigation channel itself. In addition to the MCR project, the Corps has constructed several jetties at the entrance of the MCR. Furthermore, the 10076 NORTHWEST ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES v. NMFS Corps and the Bureau of Reclamation operate a system of dams along the Columbia River known collectively as the Federal Columbia River Power System.