Washington Business Fall 2022 | Page 29

Richard S . Davis

The clean energy , efficient navigation , recreation and irrigation made possible by the dams are irreplaceable benefits .

Amid calls for breaching the four lower Snake River dams , a recent review by Gov . Jay Inslee and U . S . Sen . Patty Murray found it would cost up to $ 31 billion to replace the various economic benefits they provide . The report underscores the value of the dams and demonstrates why it ’ s really not possible to replace their benefits .