2A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2016
Congress passes bill to improve
water quality in Columbia River
By GEORGE PLAVEN
EO Media Group
Congress has passed a bill
authorizing the U.S. Envi-
ronmental Protection Agency
to establish a competitive,
voluntary grant program for
environmental cleanup work
in the Columbia River.
The Columbia River Res-
toration Act was included
as part of the federal Water
Resources Development Act
of 2016, which lawmakers
approved Friday .
Grants could help pay for
projects that improve water
quality in the basin, reduce
pollution or clean up contam-
inated sites. Oregon Sens.
Ron Wyden and Jeff Merk-
ley, both Democrats, cheered
the legislation, which was
supported by a diverse group
of environmental, tribal and
industry groups.
“Nobody wants to worry
that the water they are drink-
ing or fi shing in or swim-
ming in is tainted, but eight
million inhabitants of the
Columbia River Basin have
had their health, safety and
environment endangered by
toxins in the river,” Merk-
ley said. “Now, Congress
is fi nally doing something
about it.”
The Columbia River is
the largest river in the North-
west, with a drainage basin
roughly the size of France.
It is historically the largest
salmon-producing river sys-
tem in the world, with annual
returns peaking at around 16
million fi sh.
However, the basin is the
only large aquatic ecosystem
in the U.S. that receives no
dedicated funding to clean
up and monitor toxic chem-
icals. The EPA has identifi ed
numerous toxins in the basin,
including arsenic, lead, pes-
ticides and fl ame retardants.
High levels of pollutants can
New fund helps removal
of Western U.S. dams
build up in the fatty tissue
of fi sh and lamprey, which
are consumed by people and
can cause signifi cant health
problems and birth defects.
“Preserving and protect-
ing the river is a must to
ensure the river remains the
clean and healthy lifeblood
of our region,” Wyden said.
The program does not
add any new EPA regula-
tions. The bill was supported
by the Columbia River Inter-
Tribal Fish Commission —
representing the Umatilla,
Yakama, Warm Springs and
Nez Perce tribes — as well as
the Pacifi c Northwest Water-
ways Association, Lower
Columbia Estuary Partner-
ship and Salmon-Safe.
Local tribes also praised
another bill contained within
the Water Resources Devel-
opment Act that will ensure
the return of the Kennewick
Man, or Ancient One, for a
proper burial.
A $50 million
grant for rivers
By DAN WHEAT
EO Media Group
Dam removal projects in
Oregon, Washington state
and California are receiving
money from a new fund set
up by the William and Flora
Hewlett Foundation for dam
removal and river restoration
in the West.
The foundation, based
in Menlo Park, California ,
marked its 50th anniversary
in November by announc-
ing a $50 million grant to the
Resources Legacy Fund to
establish the new Open Riv-
ers Fund.
It is the largest fund dedi-
cated to supporting local com-
munity efforts to remove obso-
lete dams and restore rivers.
During the next 10 years,
the Open Rivers Fund will sup-
port dam removal, related river
restoration and infrastructure
modernization. There are more
than 14,000 dams across the
country identifi ed by engi-
neering experts as high hazard,
according to the foundation.
“Once communities come
together and agree to remove a
dam, there is often little money
available,” said Larry Kramer,
foundation president.
Open Rivers Fund inaugu-
ral grants are:
• $215,000 to help with
removal of a series of small
dams and obstructions in Ore-
Housing authority seeking applicants
The Daily Astorian
The Northwest Oregon
Housing Authority Board of
Commissioners is looking to
fi ll an open seat.
The position is for a term
ending Dec. 31, 2019.
The housing authority
owns and manages housing
for low- and moderate-income
people and administers vari-
ous federal housing assistance
programs in Clatsop, Colum-
bia and Tillamook counties.
The board normally meets
once a month; the location
rotates among the counties.
To apply, pick up an appli-
cation form and return it to
the Clatsop County Manag-
er’s Offi ce at 800 Exchange
St., Suite 410, Astoria, Ore.,
97103. Forms are available at
the County Manager’s Offi ce
or on the county website
www.co.clatsop.or.us.
FIVE-DAY FORECAST FOR ASTORIA
TONIGHT
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
41
29
32
Cold with increasing
clouds
FRIDAY
41
30
Chilly with clouds
breaking for some sun
SATURDAY
40
27
Mostly cloudy and chilly
with a shower
Justin Clifton/Hewlett Foundation
Matilija Dam near Ventura,
Calif., is 160 feet tall and is
targeted for removal by the
Open Rivers Fund.
gon’s Rogue River basin.
• $175,000 to help with
removal of Matilija Dam in
Ventura, California.
• $75,000 to assist in
removing Nelson Dam in
Yakima, Washington.
Economic and environ-
mental benefi ts have led to
broad community support
for the removals which help
fi sh habitat, according to the
foundation.
The Rogue River basin
work builds on the removal
of Gold Hill, Gold Ray and
Savage Rapids dams, already
accomplished and resulting in
free fl ow of the river for more
than 150 miles.
The new work addresses
several other river impedi-
ments including removal of
the 5.5-foot Beeson-Robin-
son diversion dam on Wag-
ner Creek in the Bear Creek
sub-basin, near Talent, Oregon.
Beeson-Robinson serves 19
41
31
OBITUARIES
Mostly cloudy, a little
rain; chilly
Partly sunny and chilly
irrigators but blocks upstream
fi sh movement. A diversion
channel will serve the irriga-
tors when the dam is removed.
Matilija Dam is 160 feet
tall and has a 7,000 acre-foot
reservoir 90 percent fi lled with
sediment on Matilija Creek, a
tributary of Ventura River and
15.6 miles upriver from the
Pacifi c Ocean, according to
the Hewlett Foundation. The
dam’s sediment trapping con-
tributes to ocean beach ero-
sion and has made it ineffec-
tive for its original purpose as
water storage for agriculture.
The dam also blocks steel-
head spawning habitat. Local
groups have been working
toward removal.
Nelson Dam on the Naches
River near Yakima is 8 feet
tall, 190 feet long and is owned
by the city. Its diversion serves
orchards and city residences.
Removal and consolidation
with two downstream diver-
sions into one new diversion
structure will cost about $8
million, mainly funded by city
bonds and other grants, said
Joel Freudenthal, senior nat-
ural resources specialist for
Yakima County.
The changes will benefi t
fi sh and will increase diver-
sion fl ow for irrigators from
the 35 to 40 cubic feet per
second range to about 57 cfs,
Freudenthal said. The Nach-
es-Cowiche Canal Co., which
also receives water from the
diversion, supports the proj-
ect. Work will hopefully start
in 2018, he said.
Sandra L. Watters
Seaside
Sept. 1, 1943 — Dec. 2, 2016
ALMANAC
Shown is tomorrow's weather. Temperatures are tonight's lows and tomorrow's highs.
ASTORIA
32/41
Tillamook
30/35
Salem
30/36
Newport
33/38
Last
Dec 13
New
Dec 20
Coos Bay
38/45
First
Dec 28
Source: Jim Todd, OMSI
TOMORROW'S TIDES
Astoria / Port Docks
Time
7:00 a.m.
7:58 p.m.
Low
2.5 ft.
-1.5 ft.
City
Atlanta
Boston
Chicago
Denver
Des Moines
Detroit
El Paso
Fairbanks
Honolulu
Indianapolis
Kansas City
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Memphis
Miami
Nashville
New Orleans
New York
Oklahoma City
Philadelphia
St. Louis
Salt Lake City
San Francisco
Seattle
Washington, DC
Klamath Falls
31/42
Lakeview
28/40
Ashland
36/49
REGIONAL CITIES
City
Baker City
Bend
Brookings
Eugene
Ilwaco
Klamath Falls
Medford
Newberg
Newport
North Bend
Hi
24
28
50
41
44
40
46
40
46
48
Today
Lo
10
16
43
30
34
31
38
30
33
38
W
pc
c
c
c
pc
c
c
c
c
c
Hi
26
23
52
35
41
42
48
34
38
46
Wed.
Lo
18
19
41
30
33
34
39
27
33
38
W
sn
sn
r
sn
pc
sn
r
sn
r
r
City
Olympia
Pendleton
Portland
Roseburg
Salem
Seaside
Spokane
Springfi eld
Vancouver
Yakima
Hi
40
23
42
42
42
45
18
40
41
32
Today
Lo
25
14
31
36
30
34
2
31
30
14
W
s
c
c
c
c
pc
s
c
c
pc
Hi
36
19
35
44
36
40
19
38
34
28
Wed.
Lo
25
15
29
38
29
32
14
32
29
17
W
pc
sn
sn
r
sn
pc
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pc
TOMORROW'S NATIONAL WEATHER
NATIONAL CITIES
Today
Hi Lo
60 45
40 30
17 2
42 14
20 14
30 8
70 44
-13 -20
78 67
33 9
27 16
64 48
66 53
52 33
83 70
48 32
74 58
42 34
42 23
43 33
37 16
42 29
59 53
40 28
47 35
Burns
16/28
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2016
Tonight's Sky: The Full 'Frost' moon (4:05 p.m.) will
be at its highest altitude of 63 degrees above the
southern horizon for the year.
High
8.6 ft.
10.6 ft.
Baker
10/26
Ontario
17/29
Bend
16/23
Medford
38/48
Jan 5
John Day
22/34
La Grande
16/30
Roseburg
36/44
Brookings
43/53
UNDER THE SKY
Time
1:29 a.m.
12:52 p.m.
Prineville
16/25
Lebanon
30/37
Eugene
30/35
SUN AND MOON
Sunset tonight ........................... 4:30 p.m.
Sunrise Wednesday .................... 7:51 a.m.
Moonrise today .......................... 4:52 p.m.
Moonset today ............................ 7:06 a.m.
Pendleton
14/19
The Dalles
23/27
Portland
31/35
Precipitation
Monday ............................................ 0.31"
Month to date ................................... 5.57"
Normal month to date ....................... 4.03"
Year to date .................................... 82.07"
Normal year to date ........................ 61.65"
Full
Sandra L. Watters passed on Dec. 2, 2016, in
She is survived by her sons Dan Dougherty
Seaside, Oregon. She was born on Sept. 1, 1943, and Ted Uriech; two granddaughters, Athena
Dougherty and Shyanne Dough-
in Portland, Oregon, to Donald and Ida
erty; grandson Parker; great-grand-
Sessler. She grew up and attended Jef-
children Raven and Kaylani; and
ferson High School, where she started
her longtime boyfriend, Frank
her volunteer career at the hospital
Hoge.
with “Youth for Christ.” She went on
She was very loving and caring
to, and retired from, AT&T, and also
and will be truly missed.
worked as a caregiver for many years
Hughes-Ransom Mortuary &
in the Clatsop County area.
Crematory in Seaside is in charge
She continued giving as mem-
of arrangements. Please visit www.
ber of the Elks, American Legion,
hughes-ransom.com to share mem-
Moose and the Eagles, providing
Sandra Watters
ories and sign the guest book.
many hours of volunteer work to all.
REGIONAL WEATHER
Astoria through Monday.
Temperatures
High/low ....................................... 48°/38°
Normal high/low ........................... 49°/36°
Record high ............................ 61° in 2002
Record low ............................. 10° in 1919
W
r
pc
pc
c
pc
sn
pc
c
s
sn
pc
pc
pc
pc
sh
sh
t
pc
pc
c
pc
c
c
s
c
Hi
58
39
16
26
20
20
70
-5
77
24
29
66
67
46
83
43
64
40
41
42
32
42
62
38
44
Wed.
Lo
32
24
-3
10
4
6
42
-13
66
5
14
51
55
25
67
20
46
24
22
25
14
41
56
29
27
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
W
pc
pc
pc
c
s
sf
pc
s
pc
pc
s
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
pc
s
sn
r
pc
pc
DEATHS
BIRTH
Dec. 11, 2016
McKINNEY, Steven Michael, 35, of Astoria, died in Seaside.
Hughes-Ransom Mortuary & Crematory in Seaside is in charge
of the arrangements. Visit www.hughes-ransom.com to share
memories and sign the guest book.
Dec. 12, 2016
WAYRYNEN, Larry, 72, of Astoria, died in Portland. Cald-
well’s Luce-Layton Mortuary in Astoria is in charge of the
arrangements.
Dec. 3, 2016
ALLEN, Nikole and
Daniel, of New Haven,
Connecticut, a boy, Lucas
Gebre Allen, born at St.
Raphael Yale-New Haven
Hospital. Grandparents are
Karl and Janet Engel of
Florence, and Denise Allen
and Steve and Karen Allen,
all of Astoria. Great-grand-
parents are Rosemary
Bosch of Woodland, Wash-
ington, and Bunny Engel if
Lynnwood, Washington.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
TUESDAY
Cannon Beach City Council,
5:30 p.m., work session, City
Hall, 163 E. Gower St.
Warrenton City Commission,
6 p.m., City Hall, 225 S. Main
Ave.
Lewis & Clark Fire Depart-
ment Board, 7 p.m., main fi re
station, 34571 Highway 101
Business.
WEDNESDAY
Clatsop Soil and Water Con-
servation District Board, 10
a.m., OSU Seafood Lab Center,
Conference Room 231, 2001
Marine Drive.
Clatsop County Housing
Weather (W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy,
sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain, sf-snow fl urries,
sn-snow, i-ice.
Authority Board, 5 p.m., Judge
Guy Boyington Building, 857
Commercial St., Astoria.
Clatsop County Board of
Commissioners, 6 p.m., Judge
Guy Boyington Building, 857
Commercial St., Astoria.
Astoria School Board, 6:15
p.m., study session, 7:30 p.m.,
regular meeting, Capt. Robert
Gray School third-fl oor board-
room, 785 Alameda Ave.
Warrenton-Hammond School
Board, 7 p.m., Warrenton Grade
School multipurpose room, 820
S.W. Cedar Ave.
Wickiup Water District Board,
6:30 p.m., 92648 Svensen Mar-
ket Road, Svensen.
OBITUARY POLICY
APPLIANCE
PACKAGE DEALS
APPLIANCE
AND HOME
FURNISHINGS
529 SE MARLIN, WARRENTON
503-861-0929
O VER
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3 A 0
RS
YE
IN
TSOP
C LA U
Y
C O NT
& More!
HOURS OPEN: MON-FRI 8-6 • SATURDAY 9-5 • SUNDAY 10-4
We Service What We Sell
The Daily Astorian publishes paid obituaries. The obitu-
ary can include a small photo and, for veterans, a fl ag sym-
bol at no charge. The deadline for all obituaries is 9 a.m. the
business day prior.
Obituaries may be edited for spelling, proper punctuation
and style. Death notices and upcoming services will be pub-
lished at no charge. Notices must be submitted by 9 a.m. the
day of publication.
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Established July 1, 1873
(USPS 035-000)
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