For Immediate Release

Date: April 16, 2004

Editor's Note: We invite you to attend this dedication. We will meet at the Port of The Dalles Marina at 1:30 p.m. for the dedication. Please call for additional information.

The Dalles Marina Dedication April 29

A formal ribbon cutting at the Port of The Dalles Marina on Thursday, April 29, will mark the end of major construction at the facility and the start of a new boating season. The christening of the upgraded facility will occur at 1:30 p.m. at the marina. The public is invited to attend.

The Oregon State Marine Board, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Port of The Dalles worked closely to fund and complete the project. With this dedication, the final project in a series of facility improvements has been completed.

Upgrades at the port include:

• A new transient tie-up float with a reconfigured marina to better accommodate visiting boaters
• A new boat waste pumpout/dump station
• ADA access and accommodations.

"This concludes several years worth of projects," said Marine Board Director Paul Donheffner. "Completing the final phase was a challenge, but the end result is something we can all be proud of. It will serve boaters for decades to come."

Placing piles to secure the new transient floats is the challenge to which Donheffner referred. While installing steel pilings, crews unexpectedly hit solid basalt rock. A contractor was brought in to drill the holes using a technique new to Oregon. The Port took advantage of the presence of the contractor and had other pilings installed to further enhance the facility.

The transient tie-up project was funded by the federal Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) Program, the federal Clean Vessel Act (CVA), an Oregon State Marine Board facility grant, and the Port. The additional marina expansions and upgrades were fully funded by the Port.

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