Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program (DOE/EA-2006)

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

The Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program Environmental Assessment (EA) was completed to support more efficient environmental review of site-specific estuary restoration actions and projects. The estuary restoration program was developed to satisfy obligations and commitments under the Northwest Power Act, Water Resources Development Act, and Biological Opinions for the operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System. Typical estuary restoration projects include the conservation and restoration of riparian areas, off-channel habitats, and estuarine wetlands and floodplains through levee modification and breaching; tidal channel creation; tide gate and culvert removal or modification; and invasive species control. The EA describes the estuary restoration program, discusses the environmental impacts of actions and projects implemented under the program, and lists mitigation measures that help lessen those impacts. The agencies will tier environmental analysis for site-specific projects to this EA.

The Columbia River estuary includes all of the tidally-influenced portions of the Columbia River and its tributaries and extends from the mouth of the Pacific Ocean upstream to Bonneville Dam. It encompasses all low-lying areas that are currently or were historically tidally-influenced along the Columbia River and its tributaries in portions of Clatsop, Columbia, and Multnomah counties in Oregon, and Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Clark, and Skamania counties in Washington.

CURRENT STATUS

To understand the potential environmental impacts of this proposal, BPA, in cooperation with the Army Corps of Engineers, prepared an environmental assessment (EA) to help determine the potential impacts the project would have on the human environment. BPA released the draft EA for public review and comment in April 2016 and received comments from five entities. BPA prepared a final EA that provides responses to comments received and includes revisions to that analysis based on those comments. Based on the EA analysis and mitigation measures to help lessen impacts, BPA found that the proposed action will not cause any significant impacts, and issued a finding of no significant impact (FONSI) on July 7, 2016.

CONTACT

for program management information, contact:
Chad Hamel        Toll-free: 800-622-4519
Supervisory Environmental Protection Specialist Direct Line: 503-230-5564
Bonneville Power Administration - ECF-4 Email: cjhamel@bpa.gov  
PO Box 3621
Portland, OR 97208-3621

DOCUMENTS

SUPPLEMENT ANALYSES
SA - 13 Lower Elochoman III Floodplain Restoration Project (July 1, 2021)
SA - 12 Palensky Wildlife Area Restoration Project (August 30, 2021)
SA - 11 Columbia Estuary Ecosystem Restoration Program (March 29, 2021)
SA - 10 Woodland Islands Habitat Restoration Project (June 17, 2020)
SA - 09 John Day Crossing Tidal Restoration Project (June 4, 2020)
SA - 08 West Sand Island Tidal Restoration Project (April 28, 2020)
SA - 07 Government Island Restoration Project (July 11, 2019)
SA - 06 South Bachelor Island Restoration (July 9, 2019)
SA - 05 McCarthy Creek Phase II Restoration Project (June 25, 2019)
SA - 04 Sturgeon Lake Restoration Project (June 26, 2018)
SA - 03 Lower Elochoman Estuary Restoration (May 8, 2019)
SA - 02 Wallacut River Confluence Estuary Restoration (August 8, 2016)
SA - 01 Kerry Island Estuary Restoration (July 26, 2016)

FINAL EA & FONSI
Public Letter  (07/22/2016)
Final EA  (07/07/2016)
FONSI/Mitigation Action Plan  (07/07/2016)

DRAFT EA
comments received
Draft EA  (April 2016)
Public Letter  (04/15/2016)
Comment Form  (04/15/2016)

SCOPING
comments received
Public Letter  (10/05/2015)
Project Map  (08/25/2015)
Comment Form  (10/05/2015)