To the Eagle and Wahkiakum County:

I have been reading the articles about bank stabilization with the dredging sand and have some thoughts I'd like to share. The dredging of sand has been happening on the river for probably over a hundred years. The sand has been placed on many beaches and has all washed away.

The Corp of Engineers has dredged for the purpose of heavy marine traffic. The Corp has built some incredible rock breakwaters on both sides of the entrance to the Pacific to allow heave ship traffic. But then it is decided that no one else can stabilize the shore in front of their property with rip rap or large stone rubble banks. Why not? It's not natural for 10 to 20 ships that put out 3 to 5 foot wakes to transit the river every day.

Stabilizing the river bank with rock rubble will assist in keeping wake from the heave ship traffic from washing the banks into the channel. Perhaps a "no wake" speed limit would work. How much will that add to the cost of getting the ships upriver? So once again, ships and a dredged channel are not natural. Dredged sand will just wash back from the ship’s wake. Stabilize the bank correctly and allow property owners to place rock rubble on the shore to stablize the banks. Or slow the ships down.

Richard Trojan

Craig, Alaska