The Columbia Press
August 14, 2020
5
Daily COVID
CREST’s projects include work in Ilwaco and John Day
cases declining The Columbia River Estuary
plants on more than 60 acres.
The Columbia Press
Daily cases of COVID-19
continued to decline slightly
during the past week, state
health officials reported.
There were 2,122 new cases
during the week that ended
Aug. 9. That’s a slight drop
from the previous week’s tal-
ly of 2,278. Deaths also were
down, from 39 the previous
week to 29 deaths.
The percentage of posi-
tive tests also decreased and
hospitalizations plateaued,
health authorities said.
The predicted resurgence in
cases has stabilized following
the reopening of the econo-
my, State Health Officer Dr.
Dean Sidelinger said.
“But there are warning
signs that tell us cases could
spike again,” he added. “Case
data and modeling indicate
transmission has slowed. We
can reach a point where the
virus can’t spread at a sus-
tainable rate – if we all work
together.”
In Clatsop County, six new
cases were reported during
the past week.
On Thursday, Aug. 6, one
case was reported, a male in
his 20s from south county.
On Monday, Aug. 10, five
cases were reported. Two
were in their 20s, two were in
their 50s and one was in his
70s. All but one, a male, were
from north county.
As of Wednesday, Clatsop
County has recorded 88 cas-
es since March 23, with 66
of them recovered and the
others convalescing at home.
There have been no deaths.
Statewide, there have been
375 deaths from the virus
and 22,022 cases.
An outbreak of 22 cases was
reported at Pan American
Berry Growers in Salem and
29 cases at Good Shepherd
Health Care System in Herm-
iston.
Study Taskforce approved its
largest budget ever recently,
with six projects expected to
facilitate fish passage and re-
store habitat.
CREST’s 2020-21 fiscal year
budget is $10.2 million.
CREST, located in Asto-
ria, is a nonprofit group
dedicated to environmental
planning and habitat resto-
ration for fish and wildlife.
Staff members worked re-
motely to finalize plans, ob-
tain grants and develop a
budget for the year.
The largest project is the
Hungry Harbor Habitat Res-
toration on Highway 401 in
Washington state.
The overall project budget
is $1.34 million and includes
replacement of a small 5-foot
culvert that’s blocking fish
access to more than a mile
of spawning habitat north of
the highway. The culvert will
be replaced with a much larg-
er 18- by 12-foot concrete box
culvert.
More than 80 percent of
migrating juvenile salmon
use the Columbia River’s
north shore while migrating
out to the estuary and ocean,
Woodland Island
CREST leaders said studies
have shown.
Those helping to fund or
work on the project include
GreenWood
Resources,
Washington Department of
Transportation, Washington
Recreation and Conservation
Office, Lower Columbia Fish
Recovery Board, Washington
Coast Restoration and Resil-
ience Initiative, Pacific Ma-
rine and Estuarine Fish Hab-
itat Partnership, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, and
Bonneville Power Adminis-
tration.
The West Sand Island proj-
ect, which is in Baker Bay
south of Ilwaco, will re-es-
tablish tidal flow connections
Astoria teen named Regatta queen
Astoria High School senior
Annalyse Steele was named
queen of this year’s Astoria
Regatta following a low-key
ceremony in the Loft at the
Red Building.
Princesses from the coun-
ty’s four high schools gave
speeches during a limited
attendance
live-streamed
event, usually held in the Lib-
erty Theatre.
Annalyse takes over the
crown from last year’s queen,
Mara Dowaliby of Warren-
ton. This year’s princesses
are Mia McFadden of War-
renton, Zoey Alexander of
Seaside and Gabrielle Morrill
of Knappa.
Mitch Eckhardt
Annalyse Steele was crowned
Astoria Regatta queen.
Astoria Regatta also dedi-
cated a sculpture by Jeremy
Furnish on a dock at the Co-
lumbia River Maritime Mu-
seum. It was commissioned
for the group’s 125th anni-
versary.
to wetlands in the island’s
interior. Twenty-three newly
excavated channels will allow
juvenile salmon to access the
new habitat.
The $712,200 project in-
cludes controlling invasive
Work is expected to continue
through winter and is be-
ing completed with partner
agencies Bonneville Power
Administration and the Army
Corps of Engineers.
Other habitat restoration
projects are in John Day, Mill
Creek, Harlow’s Creek and
Woodland Island.
Agency council members,
who approved the budget,
include Warrenton Commis-
sioner Rick Newton, Port of
Astoria Commissioner Frank
Spence, Astoria Councilman
Roger Rocka, Clatsop County
Commissioner Sarah Nebeker
and representatives from
Wahkiakum County, Cannon
Beach and Ilwaco, Wash.