$18M appropriation bill would fund Oregon water projects

Daily Journal of Commerce (Portland, OR), Jul 31, 2008 by Report

Almost $18 million for Oregon Ports, wetlands, and reservoirs was approved by a U.S. Senate appropriations committee for a list of water and energy projects. The appropriations bill will now go to the full Senate for approval, and then to the president. Several of the projects on the list are located in the southern Willamette Valley and coastal region.

A study of enhancements and restoration projects on Amazon and Cedar creeks, near Eugene, would be given $350,000.

Coos Bay would be given $4.796 million for maintenance dredging and emergency jetty repairs and the Siuslaw River would be given $583,000 for such repairs. An assessment of the potential restoration of flood plains on the middle and coast forks of the Willamette River would receive $240,000.

In addition, $1 million would be allocated to test the Oregon Solar Highway initiative, which would place solar panels along highway rights-of-way to generate electricity. U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Gordon Smith, R-Ore., support the project list.