The Columbia-Snake River navigation system, one of the main grain export arteries for the United States, was closed Dec. 10 and will remain so until at least March 18 of next year. During the nearly four month river system closure shippers who export grain through lower Columbia River ports will have to move it by rail or truck instead of barge.
The unprecedented extended closure of the river system was planned. Hal Thomas, a manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Walla Walla, Wash., says navigation lock gates from the 1950s to the 70s need to be replaced.
"Cyclic activity has taken its toll on the on the gates in terms of wear and tear," Thomas said. "So it's time now that in order to avoid an unanticipated failure of the gates that we do a coordinated lock extended outage, shut them down and replace the gates."
Downstream lock gates at three dams on the river system will be replaced thanks to $50 million in federal stimulus money.
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