Camas — Dive crews removing the derelict Davy Crockett barge from the Columbia River passed a milestone on Thursday.
With a centerline bulkhead pulled out of the water, crews have now removed more than 4 million pounds of steel from the wreck since cleanup efforts began in January, according to the Washington State Department of Ecology. The steel recovered from the site is recycled.
The Davy Crockett has sat broken on the north bank of the Columbia near Camas since its owner attempted to scrap the vessel while it was still afloat. Instead, the barge buckled and partially sank, releasing oil and debris into the river.
The water level at the site, enclosed in a metal cofferdam, is now 12 feet, according to the ecology department. That’s more than eight feet below the high-water level earlier this year.
