U.S. Army Corps approves Columbia River channel deepening    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has approved a $136 million channel deepening project for the Pacific Northwest’s Columbia

River.    The Corps will begin work improving the federal navigation channel that stretches 103 miles between the Pacific Ocean and Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, Wash. It will also involve

the restoration of several ecosystems.    The Corps estimates that the project investment will return a $1.66 benefit for every dollar spent on the dredging project.