Estuary partnership seeks help in mapping debris in river

A lower river organization is just beginning to track and map where marine debris is located in the Columbia River estuary, but it needs help from people to identify where the debris is located and what kind of debris it is.

The Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership is asking for help to identify small to medium scale marine debris in the lower Columbia River from Bonneville Dam to the river’s mouth. It will then map the debris and develop plans for cleanup, the organization said.

Marine debris can harm fish and wildlife habitat, affect water quality, and impact human safety and the impact to fish and wildlife can be significant, according to Partnership’s executive director Debrah Marriott.

“Animals and fish can get trapped or entangled in old nets which can cause suffocation or even death,” she said. “If ingested, mistaken as food sometimes, it causes internal complications to the species and affects their nutrition and can also lead to starvation and drowning. Some of it (especially plastics) contains toxic contaminants.”

The Partnership is undertaking this effort to identify and map marine debris, assess the extent of the problem along the lower Columbia River, and determine what can be done to remove the debris from the river and its shoreline.

The small to medium scale debris the organization wants to identify includes, among other things, small abandoned boats, large tires, drums, and old machinery – “anything that does not belong along or in the river,” it says.

However, the inventory the Partnership is compiling does not track large abandoned ships greater than 35 feet. Those are classified as derelict vessels and are tracked by the US Coast Guard and others.

So far, the Partnership has mapped more than 100 marine debris locations between Kalama and Portland.

“There are hundreds of miles of shoreline and back channels along the lower river,” Marriott said. “We’re hoping people can keep their eyes open for marine debris, and let us know if they see anything. We want to better understand the extent of the problem and we know people out on the river every day will be a great help.”

She said that the organization has only started mapping, so far completing just one area from Portland to Kalama. The intent of the project is to complete mapping for the entire 146 miles of the lower River from Bonneville Dam to the Pacific Ocean.

Funding to complete the mapping is from LCEP operation funds, which come from the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

“We are part of the National Estuary Program and receive funds from Congress through EPA to implement actions in our management plan,” Marriott said. “Marine debris is part of our area of focus. The cost for this phase is nominal. In addition, the volunteers who help out and respond to our request to help us are contributing their time and expertise.”

In order to remove marine debris (and secure funding to do that) the Partnership must first map and quantify what is there and where it is. After completing the mapping and identification, it will work to secure funding, likely from competitive grants, to start a removal program, Marriott said.

Citizens are asked by the Partnership to report debris, noting the type and size, the location, including GPS coordinates if known, and a picture, if possible, that the Partnership can upload onto its marine debris page (.http://www.estuarypartnership.org/marine-debris-webmap). A map of currently known debris is located at this website.

Marine debris can be reported on the Estuary Partnership’s website at http://www.estuarypartnership.org/marine-debris-submittal-form.