The Upper Mississippi Waterway Association (UMWA), members and stakeholders are heading West to learn more about the utilization, importance, opportunities and issues faced on the Columbia and Snake rivers.
This river tour follows last year’s successful tour of the Mississippi by the Columbia-Snake River “Dam Heroes” and UMWA. Members will also promote the same for the Upper Mississippi waterway this summer.
The tour starts June 22 with participants arriving in Portland, Ore., with a Portland dinner cruise of the Willamette River, learning the impact the two rivers running through the “City of Bridges” (also known as Stumptown and Rose City) had upon the history and development of Portland.
“The exchange tours developed through discussions first had with Michelle Hennings of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers,” Gary Williams, Executive Director of UMWA said. “We quickly saw where some of the issues that wheat growers and other stakeholders of the Columbia and Snake rivers expressed were similar and could forecast from conversations some future concerns and barriers the Upper Mississippi might face.”
“Their word of warning was not to discount how important education and outreach is, but so that the public understands why these rivers are so important economically, recreationally, and for our national transportation security and reliability. Being a ‘repeater’ to carry the message of these rivers and to speak with consistency about our waterways, leads to greater trust, credibility, clarity for decision makers and those that will influence policies, investments and support for maintaining commerce.”
Having members on this trip is important to continue making an impact. Along with Williams, UMWA members Greg Genz, Cassandra Caldwell with American Cruise Lines, Captain Brandon Phillips, UMWA chairman Jeremy Putman representing Riverview Co. and Jeff Stieber representing J.F. Brennan are all attending the tour.
“This tour is a great opportunity for stakeholders across regions to sit down, ride the river together and learn from one another,” Putman said. “The challenges faced in the Columbia-Snake system may be different in nature from those on the Upper Mississippi, but the underlying issues – navigation, reliability, infrastructure investment and economic impact – are shared. This kind of collaboration helps us speak with a stronger, unified voice at the national level, and that’s a major win for UMWA and the entire inland waterways system.”
The Columbia-Snake River Stakeholder Team, which includes representatives from Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG), Shaver Transportation, Port of Lewiston, Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA), McGregor, Columbia River Pilots and American Cruise Lines, will visit multiple ports along the Mississippi River, working together to analyze waterway issues and explore solutions for a better flowing future.
Riverview Company, J.F. Brennan, American Cruise Lines and Upper Mississippi Fleeting are the top sponsors – Captains on the sponsor list – for the tour this year.
“Companies willing to support this opportunity to draw attention to the necessity of inland working waterways, particularly the ones that have made the investment in dollars and time commitment, by sending their people for a week on this exchange is important for UMWA to get our word out,” Williams said. “The voice of those that work and depend upon these rivers for their livelihood is the loudest of all.”
The schedule is tightening up with the latest schedule for the tour:
June 22: Arrive in Portland, Ore., and Willamette River cruise
June 23: Port of Longview tour and travel to Astoria, Ore.
June 24: Participate in M84 Conference in Kalama, Wash., and travel to Vancouver, Wash.
June 25: Bonneville Dam and Hood River tour
June 26: Tri-Cities Grain tour and travel to Walla Walla, Wash.
June 27: Drive to Lewiston, Idaho, and tour port (end of events)