washington business
When concrete was poured for the first of the four Lower
Snake River dams 65 years ago , then-Gov . Albert D . Rosellini told a Pasco audience the dams meant prosperity , jobs and “ food on the table ” for Washingtonians . Since then , the dams have meant that and more .
Yet , before the concrete set in 1957 , the dams — Ice Harbor , Lower Granite , Lower Monumental and Little Goose — met with controversy . Despite abundant evidence of immeasurable benefits they provide , the controversy continues today . Some background . Two years ago , the U . S . Army Corps of Engineers released a study that rejected the idea of breaching the Snake River dams as a way to improve salmon survival . The comprehensive , four-year , multimillion dollar analysis — called the Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement ( EIS ) — specifically considered and rejected dam breaching , recommending water management strategies instead to improve salmon survival .
Apparently unswayed by the science , Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson released a proposal last year that called for breaching the dams to promote salmon recovery with the aid of $ 36 billion federal dollars . His proposal got no traction in Congress but drew lot of regional attention .
On the heels of the Simpson proposal , Gov . Jay Inslee and U . S . Sen . Patty Murray called for additional study in late 2021 . A draft report to them — not new research but a rehash of existing studies supplemented by interviews — came out in June .
In written comments on the draft report , AWB said , “ this report does not present any new information that would change the conclusion of the 2020 federal environmental impact statement which did not support removing the dams due to the broader negative impacts to the region .”
Simply : According to experts , dam breaching is not required for salmon recovery , nor is it certain that removing the dams would result in better outcomes for the fish . The lost hydropower would make it impossible to achieve the state ’ s clean energy goals . And the economic consequences of higher-cost power and barge transportation would be severely negative .
At A Glance
As Gov . Inslee and Sen . Murray consider whether to support breaching the dams , the best research shows conclusively that the dams are critical to meeting the state ’ s clean energy goals , supporting Washington agriculture , and promoting tourism and economic development .
Sixty-five years after the concrete began to pour , the lower Snake River dams remain controversial , but their benefits — as Gov . Rosellini predicted — are substantial .
the shaky underpinnings of “ it ’ s possible .”
The Army Corps ’ EIS analysis found that “ breaching the four lower Snake River dams would not allow the Corps to operate and maintain the dams for … navigation , hydropower , recreation , and water supply .” Yet , according to the Murray-Inslee draft , it ’ s “ possible ” to replace the services provided by the dams “ at significant cost .”
It ’ s only possible if we employ the magical device philosophers suggest for getting out of a hole : Assume a ladder . Philosophers remain in holes . Dam replacement is possible only if we assume a slew of ladders : clean energy technologies not currently available , another massive round of federal funding , a swift buildout of rail
“ We just feel like they didn ’ t spend enough time on how this could affect agriculture . Washington state feeds the world . Ninety percent of our wheat is exported overseas , we could lose our competitiveness .”
— Michelle Hennings , executive director , Washington association of wheat growers
and highway infrastructure , the drivers and vehicles required to move cargo currently barged , a litigation-free environment , and a level of intergovernmental cooperation not seen in decades . You can ’ t assume these things into existence . There are three issues to consider :
• The high cost of replacing the benefits the dams provide : hydroelectric power , barge navigation for agricultural products , irrigation , tourism and recreation .
• The effect of dam-breaching on the state ’ s clean energy goals .
• Whether dam-breaching would successfully promote salmon recovery .
The issues are intertwined , but we ’ ll take them separately .
replacement costs
Energy . Replacing the hydroelectric energy produced by the dams is the major cost . The EIS estimates a “ zero carbon energy replacement portfolio ” — clean energy to replace lost hydro — costs $ 18.6 billion . A later study conducted for Northwest RiverPartners by Energy GPS Consulting pegged the cost of replacing the power generated by the dams at $ 15 billion , an estimate that does not include essential new transmission lines .
30 association of washington business