This is a press release courtesy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Workers under contract with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will begin blasting basalt from the bottom of the Columbia River Nov. 1.

The work is taking place to complete the deepening of the Columbia River Federal Navigation Channel from 40-feet to 43-feet.  The blasting work will take place along a one-mile stretch of the river between River Miles 87 and 89 near St. Helens, Ore.

The contractor will drill holes into the basalt from a barge-mounted rig and detonate blasting agent to fracture the rock before removing the rock with an excavator.  Blasting will take place twice each day, once after sunrise and again before sunset.  The contractor must complete blasting operations by Feb. 28.

A 1,500-foot safety zone is planned for both upstream and downstream from blasting operations. When a vessel approaches these signs, the drill boat must be contacted on Marine VHF Channel 16 for permission to navigate through. Paddlers and recreational boaters without marine radios can call the Marine Transportation Coordinator cell phone on the drill boat (503) 396-9893. This cell number will be posted at local boat launches and marinas.  The project site will be patrolled by security guards and the US Coast Guard.  Fines may be imposed on boaters entering the safety zone during restricted times.

Additional information about the blasting work is available on the contractor’s website at www.crci-project.info.

This work, along with dredging of a one-mile section near Longview, Wash., will close out the Columbia River Channel Improvement project, a two decade-long effort to deepen the 103-mile navigation channel allowing larger, deeper draft ships and heavier-loaded vessels access to inland ports throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The Columbia River moves $18 billion of commerce annually, and is the single largest wheat and barley export gateway in the nation.