Following last year’s successful tour of the Mississippi by the Columbia-Snake River “Dam Heroes” and the Upper Mississippi Waterway Association (UMWA), UMWA members will head West to learn more about the utilization, importance, opportunities and issues faced on the Columbia and Snake River.
Members will also promote the same for the Upper Mississippi waterway this summer.
Since the announcement of the second exchange, a more defined schedule has developed.
Participants will arrive in Portland, Ore., and board the Portland Spirit for an interpretive 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 following day includes a drive to the Port of Longview on the Columbia River. This tour is enroute to Astoria, Ore., another deeply historic town, where the ocean and river form the infamously treacherous bar – over 2,000 vessels have sunk since 1792 – and the Columbia River Bar pilot legends were earned. It will also include an educational visit to the Columbia River Maritime Museum.
On June 24, the participants travel to Kalama, Wash. to participate and speak at an M84 Conference. Marine Highway 84 stretches from Astoria to Lewiston, mirroring the route the UMWA participants will travel along throughout the week. A tour of an export elevator and the Port of Kalama is planned, before driving to Vancouver, Wash.
Midweek, the group works their way up the Columbia Gorge, with expected stops at Bonneville Dam, the western most dam on the system and Hood River where recreation and commerce share the river. They can also taste the famous PNW IPA beer brewed by a number of breweries located there including Pfriem, Full Sail and Buoy, to name a few.
A trip through the Ice Harbor Lock and Dam is planned, followed by a tour of river grain barge loading location in the Tri-Cities where the Snake and Columbia rivers meet. The day finishes with wine tasting in Walla Walla, Wash. and an overnight stay in the historic Marcus Whitman hotel that has stood in its place since its inception in 1928.
On June 27, the tour completes with a drive and tour of the Port of Lewiston before continuing to a jet boat trip through the lock and dam at Lower Granite, a rise and fall of 100 feet.
The group will learn about salmon and other species through research and impact studies with a tour of the dam, including learning how the fish ladders help preserve the increasing number of salmon that transit the lock and dam. Toasting of glasses will conclude the busy week at the Lindsey Creek Winery for dinner in Lewiston, Idaho.
Some details may change, with more details to be added to the itinerary soon.
Michelle Hennings, executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers, relates that there are more people and places that want to host UMWA than there is time to schedule. Participants will walk away with a wealth of knowledge from the stops throughout the week.
The estimated cost for the entire trip including flights, meals, lodging and transportation is less than $5,000, not including the wine and beer tastings.
Due to space limitations on river-boat transportation and vehicle space there is a limited number of participants. Reserve a spot today by contacting Executive Director Gary Williams.