This article has been reprinted from the Sept. 12 USDA Grain Transportation Report.
On September 5, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers closed the Bonneville Dam on the Columbia River due to a crack in a concrete sill at the foot of the gate.
Less than 40 miles from Portland, OR, this portion of the river is critical to wheat exporters seeking access to multiple grain elevators located downriver.
According to the Associated Press, the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association reported that, “Eight million tons of cargo move on the Columbia and Snake rivers each year, and 53 percent of U.S. wheat exports were transported on the Columbia River in 2017…”
The Army Corps of Engineers estimates repairs will take until the end of the month and expects traffic to resume by September 30.