"Shiver Me Timbers": Port Ecology
One
of the major environmental concerns in Oregon at the
present time is the salmon issue. Research the life-cycle of the
salmon in Pacific Northwest river systems, including current statistics.
What effects have ports and dams had on salmon and its habitat?
Prepare a debate on the pros and cons of removing some of the
dams on Oregon rivers in order to protect wild salmon.
Current
environmental issues related to aviation services at Oregon ports
include airport noise- abatement proposals and proper disposal
of the runoff from de-icing airplanes. Invite a port aviation
representative to visit your classroom to discuss the methods
being used now and those proposed for implementation in the future.
How do these methods represent an effort to balance the economic
and environmental needs of Oregon related to ports and trade?
Visit
a drydock at one of the ports located near you to observe
its operation. Discuss how ship sandblasting and painting are
currently conducted to reduce negative effects on the environment
and wildlife. Compare the current methods used with those used
in the past.
Investigate
the pros and cons of deepening the Columbia River Channel to 43
feet to better enable the handling of the new generation of larger,
deep-draft vessels that are fully loaded. What environmental effects
might this project have on the ecosystems of Oregon? Write a letter
to your Congressperson stating your views on this issue.
In 1998
a study conducted by the state Department of Environmental Quality
and the federal Environmental Protection Agency found that a century
of industrial and maritime activity at the Portland Harbor had
contaminated the Columbia River’s sediments, which could
lead to its potential listing as a Superfund Cleanup Site. Research
this issue. What effects could this listing have on the operation
of ports in Oregon and on the ecology of the Portland Harbor?
What are the goals of the Superfund program?
Many
ports have developed riverbank management plans, with
goals to protect their maritime and industrial waterfront property
investments, improve river water quality and provide wildlife
habitat. Choose one of the 23 ports in Oregon and study the plants
and animals that inhabit the area, as well as the water, soil
and air resources. Prepare a User’s Guide to the Port Ecosystem,
listing the ways the integrity of the ecosystem has been hurt
or protected in the past, and ways it could be improved in the
future.
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