_______________________________________________
SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL NO. 119
_______________________________________________
Passed Legislature - 1985 Reg.
State of Washington 49th Legislature 1985 Regular Session
By Senators Zimmerman, DeJarnatt, Patterson, Hansen, Deccio, Hayner, Benitz, Newhouse, Thompson, Bauer and Sellar
Read first time 2/8/85 and referred to Committee on Governmental Operations.
TO THE HONORABLE RONALD REAGAN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE HONORABLE JOHN MARSH JR., SECRETARY OF THE ARMY, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:
We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
WHEREAS, The Columbia River retains a tremendous potential for transportation of Washington products to international and domestic markets; and
WHEREAS, The Columbia River corridor, from the mouth of the Columbia River along the Washington-Oregon border to the Tri-Cities and on through the Snake River to Lewiston, Idaho, is an ideal delivery vehicle to promote trade and expand existing markets; and
WHEREAS, Both Eastern and Western Washington have benefited in the past from the access to commerce the Columbia River provides; and
WHEREAS, The early transportation of products along the Columbia River was interrupted in various degrees by the construction of dams on the river; and
WHEREAS, Transportation of products through the constructed dams north of the Tri-Cities along the Columbia is restricted by the absence of any locking facilities; and
WHEREAS, Locking facilities are in operation for transportation of products from the mouth of the Columbia River to Lewiston, Idaho through Bonneville Dam, the Dalles Dam, the John Day Dam, the McNary Dam, the Ice Harbor Dam, the Lower Monumental Dam, the Little Goose Dam, and the Lower Granite Dam; and
WHEREAS, The Bonneville Dam locking facility was constructed in 1938 and is seventy-six feet wide and five hundred feet long; and
WHEREAS, All other dam locking facilities are eighty-six feet wide and six hundred seventy-five feet long; and
WHEREAS, The size of the Bonneville Dam locking facility restricts the number of barges in tow that may proceed through the lock and creates a major time delay for the transportation of products; and
WHEREAS, The United States Army Corps of Engineers has studied the feasibility of revising the Bonneville Dam lock or building a new lock; and
WHEREAS, The United States Army Corps of Engineers submitted a proposal to Congress in 1984 for the construction of a new locking facility at the Bonneville Dam; and
WHEREAS, The project was not funded in the 1984 budget enacted by Congress; and
WHEREAS, We believe the project should be funded and construction commenced at the earliest date;
NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the Congress of the United States recognize the need for a new locking facility at the Bonneville Dam and an amount of one hundred ninety-one million dollars be appropriated to the United States Army Corps of Engineers for completion of their designed project.
BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable Ronald Reagan, President of the United States, the Honorable John Marsh Jr., Secretary of the Army, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.