The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers say trees, building and more
erected on the Columbia River levee pose safety concerns and
might need to be removed. The 18.5-mile Columbia River levee and
related structures protect $20 billion worth of property,
including Portland International Airport and the city’s backup
water supply, from deluge up to eight months a year. Now, in
response to levee failures in New Orleans during Hurricane
Katrina, federal authorities say thousands of trees, buildings
and other structures permitted in past decades atop the Columbia
River levee pose safety concerns — and may need to be removed or
altered. The so-called levee encroachments include Marine Drive,
hundreds of privately owned condos and other buildings, 4,000
trees, BPA transmission towers and miles of utility lines. Read
more at The Portland Tribune.