Our History & Accomplishments
| 1934 | PNWA was founded as the Inland Empire Waterways Association (IEWA) to provide water to grow food for a hungry nation, electrify the rural Northwest and provide a low-cost navigation channel to world markets |
| 1938 | Bonneville Dam completed to provide hydropower and navigation upriver. IEWA was instrumental in the lock being included in the design of the dam |
| 1941 | Grand Coulee Dam completed to provide hydropower and water to the Columbia Basin. |
| 1941-1976 | Seven locks and dams built to complete the Columbia Snake River navigation, hydropower and irrigation systems. IEWA was the lead proponent |
| 1971 | IEWA expands to Puget Sound and the Oregon Coast. Name changes to PNWA |
| 1976 | Columbia River navigation channel deepened to 40 feet |
| 1983 | The second powerhouse is completed at Bonneville Dam |
| 1984 | Mouth of Columbia River navigation channel deepened to 55 feet |
| 1990 | PNWA named to represent navigation in U.S. Sen. Hatfield’s salmon summit. PNWA has led navigation interests in the salmon issue since |
| 1993 | New lock at Bonneville Dam completed - leads to increased inland navigation capacity |
| 1995 | Bi-State Water Quality Study completed. PNWA co-chaired the study Management Committee. |
| 1997 | Coos Bay navigation channel deepened |
| 1999 | Lower Columbia River Estuary Program water quality Management Plan completed. PNWA chaired the Management Committee |
| 1999 | Columbia River channel deepening to 43 feet authorized |
| 2000 | Biological opinion rejects dam breaching for salmon |
| 2000 | PNWA initiated work on permitting to reduce multi-year backlog in Corps permits |
| 2000 | Water Resources Development Act passes with Sec. 214, allowing public agencies to contribute funds to the Corps to expedite permitting process |
| 2000 | $30 million authorized by Congress for Columbia River estuary restoration projects. PNWA, ports and environmental groups jointly developed the bill |
| 2002 | Corps Snake River Operations EIS rejects dam breaching |
| 2002 | PNWA completes dredge fleet study demonstrating cost effectiveness of increased utilization of the Corps hopper dredges Essayons and Yaquina |
| 2003 | GAO completes dredge fleet study confirming findings of the PNWA study |
| 2003 | Corps grants additional 12 days of operations to their dredge Essayons |
| 2003 | President Bush travels to Ice Harbor Dam to announce “We won’t be breaching any dams!” |
| 2003 | The “Miracle at Chinook.” Their channel was dredged without prior appropriation after years without maintenance left only four feet in the channel. |
| 2003 | The Center for Economic Development Education and Research (CEDER), a PNWA affiliated nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, is formed |
| 2003 | New port user fees proposed by Administration were rejected by Congress |
| 2004 | $7 million shortfall in Corps budget was overcome to keep Columbia River and Coos Bay channels at full authorized depth |
| 2004 | Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals rejects proposal to breach Snake River dams in lawsuit over the 2004 salmon biological opinion |
| 2004 | Senate Environment and Public Works Committee votes to eliminate restrictions on the Corps dredges Essayons and Yaquina |
| 2005 | All 24 PNWA-supported navigation projects get funded by Congress. Fifteen were in President’s budget. Six were not. Three were funded at higher levels than proposed by the President |
| 2005 | Columbia River channel deepening to 43 feet begins |
| 2005 | Mouth of Columbia River jetty repairs begin |
| 2005 | Snake River dredged. PNWA was instrumental in getting the court settlement that allowed maintenance dredging to proceed for the first time in five years |
| 2005 | Congress passes an extension of WRDA Sec. 214, continuing program to expedite permitting |
| 2005 | Corps report to Congress recommends increasing work for dredge Essayons and maintaining current work levels for dredge Yaquina |
| 2005 | CEDER, a PNWA-affiliated non-profit, completes Marine Transportation System Study |
| 2006 | PNWA works with Rep. Baird to secure a second extension of WRDA Sec. 214. Extension is signed into law on March 24, 2006 |
| 2006 | Snake River dredging is completed in March 2006. For the first time since 1999, the Snake River is at it's full authorized depth of 14 feet. |
| 2006 | PNWA successfully lobbies for inclusion of language removing operating restrictions from the federal hopper dredges in both the Senate WRDA and FY2007 Senate E&W appropriations bills. |
| 2006 | 9th Circuit Court Judge Redden rejects a motion to modify flow measures for the salmon mitigation season that begin in April 2006. This ruling maintains reservoirs at levels that fully meet navigation requirements. |
| 2007 | PNWA is successful in getting 12 additional work days for the federal hopper dredge Essayons. |
| 2007 | PNWA and the Corps celebrate the completion of interim repairs to the North and South jetties at the Mouth of the Columbia River. |
| 2007 | WRDA 2007 is signed into law. Number of working day restrictions are lifted for the federal hopper dredges Essayons and Yaquina. |
| 2008 | CEDER completes "The Willamette Falls Locks: A Case Study Analysis of Potential Transfer Issues" |
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