<P> In 1999, Congress authorized deepening the channel between Portland and Astoria from 40 to 43 feet (12--13 m), which will make it possible for large container and grain ships to reach Portland and Vancouver . The project has met opposition because of concerns about stirring up toxic sediment on the riverbed . Portland - based Northwest Environmental Advocates brought a lawsuit against the Army Corps of Engineers, but it was rejected by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in August 2006 . The project includes measures to mitigate environmental damage; for instance, the US Army Corps of Engineers must restore 12 times the area of wetland damaged by the project . In early 2006, the Corps spilled 50 US gallons (190 L) of hydraulic oil into the Columbia, drawing further criticism from environmental organizations . </P> <P> Work on the project began in 2005 and concluded in 2010 . The project's cost is estimated at $150 million . The federal government is paying 65 percent, Oregon and Washington are paying $27 million each, and six local ports are also contributing to the cost . </P> <P> In 1902, the United States Bureau of Reclamation was established to aid in the economic development of arid western states . One of its major undertakings was building Grand Coulee Dam to provide irrigation for the 600 thousand acres (2,400 km) of the Columbia Basin Project in central Washington . With the onset of World War II, the focus of dam construction shifted to production of hydroelectricity . Irrigation efforts resumed after the war . </P> <P> River development occurred within the structure of the 1909 International Boundary Waters Treaty between the US and Canada . The United States Congress passed the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1925, which directed the Army Corps of Engineers and the Federal Power Commission to explore the development of the nation's rivers . This prompted agencies to conduct the first formal financial analysis of hydroelectric development; the reports produced by various agencies were presented in House Document 308 . Those reports, and subsequent related reports, are referred to as 308 Reports . </P>

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