WARRENTON — The Hammond Marina is a magnet for boaters and fishermen and one of Warrenton’s most important recreational facilities. But its popularity with both tourists and local residents has strained the marina to the max.

However, there’s a big obstacle standing in the way of implementing needed improvements: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, not the city of Warrenton, owns the marina. The Hammond Marina has been leased from the Corps for about 46 years.

In a continuing effort to gain ownership, Warrenton city leaders have appealed to Congress for help. The Commission on Tuesday approved sending a letter of support to U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley for their plan to use the Water Resource Development Act as a means of transferring ownership of the marina to Warrenton. The idea was first suggested by U.S. Rep. David Wu, who is also working with Warrenton on the issue.