Credit: AP Jay Inslee has signed a bill that provides $750,000 to study how to best help impacted communities if the four federal dams on the Snake River are breached. The study claims that “significant additional effects” due to the loss of hydropower, irrigation and other authorized uses of the dams would also occur, but the study didn’t attempt to capture them. “We weren’t trying to capture everything. Scientists have been talking about Snake River dam removal for decades. “Essential health, sanitation and safety would be jeopardized, along with other public services,” the study concludes. Subscribe today to support local journalism and help us to build a stronger community. Schoesler: Funds To Study Removal Of Snake Rivers Dams Can Be Better Used Ice Harbor Lock and Dam On Friday, the Federal government released its draft Environmental Impact Study, looking at the four lower Snake River dams. The debate over removing the four dams on the lower Snake River has simmered for decades.. UPDATED: Fri., Dec. 20, 2019. Highway, rail and grain elevator networks would need over $1.6 billion in capital investment. Myth 9: Lower Snake River dam removal will cause an increase in air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. There would be some job shifting, though. One of the options he formally put on the table was a close study of whether the four Lower Snake River dams should be removed or altered. According to the report, breaching the dams would require at least 201 additional unit trains and 23.8 million miles in additional trucking activity annually to maintain current shipping activities. Inslee OKs funding to study removal of Snake River dams The bill provides $750,000 to study how to help impacted communities if the four federal dams on the Snake River are breached. At 1,078 miles (1,735 km) long, it is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, in turn the largest North American river that empties into the Pacific Ocean. And removing the dams could cost less than efforts to make the dams more friendly to fish. The Snake River dams in Washington would remain in place under a final study released Friday, July 31, by federal agencies. Remove means that, along with the earth filled embankment, the concrete portions ... study, legal actions and court decisions. "Removing the four lower Snake dams must be part of any real salmon and steelhead restoration strategy. Not only will 140 miles of the lower Snake once again turn into a free-€‹flowing river with habitat complexity, but 5,500 miles of high-elevation spawning habitat will become more accessible to salmon and steelhead. To date, the Lower Snake River Dams Stakeholder Engagement Study process has included engagement with over 100 local, state, tribal and federal leaders and … ... the House and Senate operating budget still provide half of the $750,00 appropriated in the 2019-21 budget to fund a study of removing the dams. Only the earth and portion of the dams will be removed. The debate over removing the four dams on the lower Snake River has simmered for decades. The four lower snake river dams are not going to be “torn out“. The Columbia River Basin was once among the greatest salmon-producing river systems in the world.. “Despite billions of dollars spent on these efforts, the listed species continue to be in a perilous state,” Simon wrote. New Snake River dam-removal study further advances misinformation campaign. Four aging dams in Washington state block passage along the lower Snake River, a major migration corridor linking pristine cold water streams in central Idaho to the mighty Columbia River … (Dams are friendlier to salmon than they used to be, but runs have continued to struggle for many reasons. In July, the economic consulting firm ECONorthwest (ECONW) issued a new independent analysis funded by the philanthropic arm of the late Paul Allen’s Vulcan Inc. on the benefits and costs of restoring the river. The Grand Coulee Dam also blocks spawning grounds to the famous "June Hogs" (legendary Chinook salmon that weighed over 100 pounds [45 kg]). Lower Snake River dams could be replaced by a variety of renewable energy resources, according to a new study by the NW Energy Coalition. “No funding for these improvements has been identified, and all of these improvements are considered to be national costs that would not otherwise be required if the LSR (Lower Snake River) locks remain in operation,” the report says. The Waterways Journal, Inc. 319 N. 4th St., Suite 650 The study shows that removal of the dams and replacement … However, the $375,000 … “We commissioned this study to show federal and state decision makers the real economic and environmental impacts on real people and communities that would result.”. The Copco 2 dam on the Klamath River is one of four on the river slated for removal. Thousands more jobs in tourism, paper manufacturing, munition manufacturing, water transportation, lumber mill and wholesale trade would also be put at risk. Economic consultants FCS Group released the study Monday on behalf of PNWA — a coalition of ports, businesses, public agencies and individuals supportive of regional river commerce. Feb. 27, 2020 at 6:00 am Updated Feb. 27, 2020 at 8:50 pm The futures of hydropower, salmon and orcas in the Pacific Northwest are at stake in the first assessment in 20 years of the environmental effects of dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers. Sign Up; Log In Edit Article Add New Article. Ship locks on the dams make barging commodities such as grain and wood chips possible through the Snake and Columbia River system. According to the FCS Group study, breaching the Snake River dams would cause diesel fuel consumption to increase by nearly 5 million gallons per year as barges are replaced by less efficient truck-to-rail shipments. Federal dam managers are expected to release a draft environmental study of the region’s ... About 40% of people surveyed said they were in favor of dam removal on the lower Snake River to … The claim that removing the Snake River dams will quickly increase salmon populations is contradicted by the example they often use. The report estimates that more than 1,100 farms could go bankrupt if federal subsidies do not increase to offset those costs. And studies show that we can remove these dams without resorting to dirty fossil fuels or breaking the bank. The complete study is available on the PNWA website at www.pnwa.net/energy-salmon/. And RAND’s analysis found that, if done well, dam removal could actually produce as many as 15,000 new, long-term jobs. (The $16 billion figure applies to salmon-protection measures throughout the main stem Columbia and Snake rivers, not just the Snake.). For first time in 20 years, feds take deep look at hydroelectric dam removal on Lower Snake River. After decades of debate on whether the lower Snake River dams should be removed, Washington state residents remain deeply divided, according to the results of a draft study … “In contrast, our study uses existing, verified data that is available publicly.”. Title: Microsoft Word - 20150602_Analysis of Snake River dam cost claims Author: Kristin Created Date: 6/4/2015 1:26:28 PM A study commissioned by the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association (PNWA) has found that if the four lower Snake River dams were removed, the closures would cost up to $2.3 billion over the next 30 years, lead to significant additional carbon emissions that contribute to climate change, and jeopardize health, safety and livelihoods in already fragile local and regional economies. In fact, the latter study found that as much as $1.6 to $4.6 billion could be saved with the removal of the four lower Snake River dams. BonnevillePower 15,477 views. You are the owner of this article. Oregon Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a bill that provides $750,000 to study how to best help impacted communities if the four federal dams on the Snake River are breached. If farm subsidies are not increased, the study estimates that more than 1,100 farms could be at risk of bankruptcy. We know that removing these four dams is the centerpiece of any serious effort to prevent the extinction of Snake River salmon and Southern Resident orcas. Kate Brown said removing four dams on the lower Snake River in Washington must be a part of a comprehensive plan to … I believe there are ways to rebuild the dam system with … “Dam breaching extremists talk about how easy and inexpensive it would be to compensate Washington, Oregon and Idaho businesses and residents if the lower Snake River dams were removed,” said PNWA Executive Director Kristin Meira. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent seven years studying Snake River dam removal. The PNWA report comes about five months after another dam study by Seattle-based economics firm ECONorthwest concluded that dam removal would create 317 new jobs, $408 million in labor income and other wealth. Removing four lower Snake River dams would yield benefits that far outweigh the costs, according to a new study of a decades-old issue now getting increasing scrutiny. “Dam breaching extremists talk about how easy and inexpensive it would be to compensate Washington, Oregon and Idaho businesses and residents if the lower Snake River dams were removed,” PNWA Executive Director Kristin Meira said Monday. Federal agencies have adopted the conclusions of a four-year-long environmental study that rejected calls to tear down the four lower Snake River dams. The environmentalists’ latest argument is that higher water temperatures adversely affect those salmon that use the fish ladders on the river. ... Reach and part of the Snake River between Hells Canyon Dam and Lower Granite Reservoir, the ), “Spending $2.3 billion over the next three decades … to remove dams and upgrade our roads and bridges sounds expensive. If barging were removed from the Snake River, new infrastructure or costly upgrades would be needed to accommodate the displaced cargo. And they don’t have to because the US Army Corps of Engineers is committed to following the guidance in the current Summary, 2002 Feasibility Study/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is still a good framework for its actions on the LSRD’s themselves. Hastings is an outspoken It would take between $18.9 million and $38.8 million more in federal funding to keep farm profits level, the report says. Mace says. PNWA blasted the report when it came out, saying it “lacks science-based evidence.” Meira on Monday said the PNWA report uses data and scientific assessment in a way the ECONorthwest report didn’t. Scientists have been talking about Snake River dam removal for decades. Lower Snake River dams could be replaced by a variety of renewable energy resources, ... For its part, the Bonneville Power Administration isn’t commenting on the study or dam removal. The four dams on the lower Snake produce five percent of the energy used in the Pacific Northwest. … This study is just looking at barging,” Meira told The Daily News on Monday. LONGVIEW — A new study commissioned by an association of river commercial groups says removing the four Lower Snake River dams to improve … Criticism of speeding up a study looking at removing the Lower Snake River dams smells like an attempt to undermine the study’s validity, says Tri … These costs could increase by up to $0.80 per bushel if barging were removed as an option, according to the study. That kicked off a yearslong process, where federal agencies began studying ways to protect imperiled salmon on the Columbia and Snake rivers. On October 22, a group of 55 scientists sent a letter to Northwest policymakers arguing that breaching the dams is the only action that could sufficiently cool the river’s waters. A 2017 study by the Fish Passage Center, a nonpartisan, government-funded Columbia Basin research group, found that removal of the four Snake River dams would result in a two- to three-fold increase in salmon abundance in the Snake River Basin, even though the fish would still have to negotiate four more dams downstream, on the Columbia River. The Snake River is a major river of the greater Pacific Northwest region in the United States. Endangered Snake River salmon and Southern Resident Orcas can’t wait for long-drawn out efforts. The groups cite the dams’ impacts on federally protected salmon and orcas, which feed on salmon. Public Comment on Snake River Dam Removal. Inslee to breach the Snake River dams between the Tri-Cities and Clarkston. American Rivers, a national river conservation group lobbying for the removal of four dams on the Snake river in the US, has released a report proposing an alternative irrigation system for the farmers who depend on the Ice Harbour dam for irrigation water supply. For years, environmental groups and local Native American tribes have been calling for the four lower dams—Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite dams—to be closed and demolished. “We commissioned this study to show federal and state decision makers the real economic and environmental impacts on real people and communities that would result.”. The Snake River is part of the export corridor for barged Pacific Northwest agricultural products, especially wheat. How to Study Snake River Dam Removal . The Columbian is becoming a rare example of a news organization with local, family ownership. Endangered Snake River salmon and Southern Resident Orcas can’t wait for long-drawn out efforts. Inslee to breach the Snake River dams between the Tri-Cities and Clarkston. Removing the dams also would significantly increase air pollution, because shipping by rail or truck is dirtier than by tug and barge. Gov. That draft found removing the dams would not be a good idea, creating economic and environmental problems for the region. We know that removing these four dams is the centerpiece of any serious effort to prevent the extinction of Snake River salmon and Southern Resident orcas. Receive latest stories and local news in your email: Please take a second to review our community guidelines, Study looks at impact of ocean and dams on salmon runs, Washington tribes, utility consider old dam’s removal, In repeat of past, conservation groups challenge new dam management plan. Shipping by rail and truck is more expensive than barging, so costs for regional farmers would also increase. The Snake River rises in western Wyoming, then flows through the Snake River Plain of southern Idaho, the rugged Hells Canyon … The study also offers a framework from which the federal agencies can draw as they develop a new plan for dam operations. WASHINGTON D.C. – Following is a statement from Congressman Doc Hastings (WA-04) on the Snake River dam removal “study plan” prepared and released today by Army Corps of Engineers at the direction of the Obama Administration. (The report did not evaluate the potential loss of indirect jobs downriver in Cowlitz or Clark counties.). To accommodate the increased rail and truck shipping, federal investments between $1.17 billion and $2 billion in road and rail improvements, the report says. Gov. “It just seems counter to the way we are all thinking about the environment these days to want to go in the direction of putting more carbon and emissions in the air,” Meira said. David Lambroughton photo. In 2002, the Army Corps of Engineers conducted an Environmental Impact Study on removing the dams from the Lower Snake River and concluded that doing so, on its own, would not help in … November 11, 2020 By Fly Fisherman Staff. The Legislature provided funding to the governor’s office in the 2019-21 operating budget to conduct a stakeholder process to understand the views of Washingtonians on breaching and removing, or retaining, the lower Snake River dams. Washington state funds Snake River dam removal study ... for Washington communities and stakeholders to assure their voice is heard and interests addressed if the four lower Snake River dams … Jay Inslee, paid for the $750,000 study that gathered perspectives on removing the four hydropower dams, including Ice Harbor Dam … Although this study demonstrates the viability of replacing power from the four Lower Snake River Dams … The Grande Ronde River in Oregon (a tributary of the Snake) is one of many rivers that would benefit from removal of the four lower dams on the Snake River. The Lower Snake River Dams Power Replacement Study has important implicaons for the court-ordered review process now being conducted by the federal agencies that own and operate the dams. It does not consider the effects on hydropower, irrigation, salmon or other dam and river uses. And studies show that we can remove these dams without resorting to dirty fossil fuels or breaking the bank. Associated Press File Agriculture representatives say a recent study that calls for removing four dams from the Lower Snake River relies on outdated and flawed data. The debate regarding the potential removal of the four Lower Snake River dams in Washington has been ongoing for over two decades, but much of the existing information is either outdated or incomplete. In addition, the reservoirs formed by the dams provide water for a few large agricultural producers. The March 29 op-ed by Stephen Hartgen on the lower Snake River dam (LSRD) removal misleads readers on critical social and scientific issues. DAM IT! News > WA Government Snake River dam differences run deep, study finds. With wheat prices already down near the break-even point, the study calculates that the federal government would need to increase annual direct payments to farmers by up to $38.8 million to maintain current income levels. They would not be functional if the dams are breached. Water pooled behind dams heats up more than running water, and scientists supporting the dams’ removal argue that climate change is exacerbating those heating effects. “The big numbers you saw in the ECONorthwest report were due to phone calls that were made to people in the Northwest asking them to think about what a free flowing Snake River would be worth to them. … But no one else was out there doing that kind of analysis.”. © Copyright 2000-2021 That’s partly because existing wastewater infrastructure might be damaged or rendered useless if the river level drops, requiring new investments in water intakes, filtration and pumping/transmission systems for a number of cities, counties and major industrial businesses. In July, the economic consulting firm ECONorthwest (ECONW) issued a new independent analysis funded by the philanthropic arm of the late Paul Allen’s Vulcan Inc. on the benefits and costs of restoring the river. New Snake River dam-removal study further advances misinformation campaign. Without those subsidies, nearly 4,000 jobs and $472.7 million in sales supported by agricultural exports from the 10-county region nearest to the dams could vanish. An earlier report by environmental groups argues that benefits to salmon and recreation outweigh economic losses of dam breaching. Gov. “Transportation and the use of waterways for movement of people and goods is a big focus of our organization. However, the study says the benefits of reducing the extinction risk for Snake River salmon and steelhead, combined with increases in river-based recreation over reservoir recreation, plus the jolt of spending and jobs that would accompany the work to physically remove the dams, would exceed costs by $8.6 billion. July 31, 2020. Loading ... Dam removal on Snake River tributary: Dutch Flat Dam - Duration: 3:24. The study was part of a “war” of dueling studies and statements released ahead of a planned draft environmental impact statement (EIS) to be jointly released in February by the Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on the Columbia River system, including the effects of removing the dams. Study: In breaching Snake River dams, benefits outweigh costs Q13 FOX. New EIS opposes Snake River dam removal. The Lower Snake River Dams Power Replacement Study confirms clean, renewable resources can provide a viable and effective energy alternative to the continued operation of the dams. The Snake River dams in Washington would remain in place under a final study released Friday, July 31, by federal agencies. The study estimates that transportation and storage expenses would likely increase 50 percent to 100 percent for grain suppliers and shippers. The study pulls from 14 interviews with regional farmers, shippers, port managers and agricultural trade groups, as well as data from state agencies in Washington and Idaho. The current Snake River dam removal environmental impact statement is an embarrassment. The report considers how breaching would affect regional and national transportation; infrastructure; air quality; safety; and tax revenue. OLYMPIA – Differences over the fate of four dams on the lower Snake River “remain deep,” the draft of a new study says, but there may be opportunities to … The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers spent seven years studying Snake River dam removal. In spite of Vulcan’s reputation for funding unbiased … The Snake River has fifteen dams and is extremely difficult for salmon to access because of hydroelectric dams. The Snake River dams in Washington would remain in place under a final study released Friday, July 31, by federal agencies. 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