Dams Along the Snake River By Jason Smith, Allegra Abramo, Shira Bieler, Jeff Payne, Mike Miller

Lower Snake Questions: §Who are the stakeholders? §What rights and interests do they have? §What role does each stakeholder play in the region? §What is the most economically viable alternative? §What is the ethical alternative?

The Current System §The Lower Snake River Dams l Ice Harbor l Lower Monumental l Little Goose l Lower Granite

The Columbia River Basin

Ice Harbor Dam §River Mile 9.7 §Completed 1962, 1976 §Operate Pool §Purpose Power, Nav. §Other Fish, Rec. §Res:Sacajawea §Length 2822 ft. §N. Abute. 624 ft.

Lower Monumental Dam §River Mile 41.6 §Completed 1969, 1981 §Operate Pool §Purpose Power, Nav. §Other Fish, Rec. §Res:L Herbert G West §Length 3791ft. §S. Abute ft.

Little Goose Dam §River Mile 70.3 §Completed 1970, 1978 §Operate Pool §Purpose: Power, Nav §Other: Fish, Rec. §Res: Lake Bryant §Length 2655 ft. §N. Abute. 879

Lower Granite Dam §River Mile §Completed 1975, 1978 §Operate Pool §Purpose: Power, Nav. §Other: flood, rec., fish §Res.: Lower Granite L §Length 3200 ft. §North Abute ft.

The Fish §Historic runs of million fish are down by 90%. §75-80% Remaining fish are from hatcheries. §4 Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESU) listed under ESA (13 total in CRB).

Dams and Fish §Dams kill large numbers of juveniles passing over or through them. §Obstruct return of spawning adults. §Make water too warm, too slow, and reduce essential habitat (gravel and woody debris). §Many improvements have been made to dams, but fish numbers continue to decline. §NMFS says science is still out on whether removal is necessary--will try other strategies for another 10 years.

Do Fish Have Rights? §ESA: species must be considered but allows for balancing of human economic interests. §Do fish have intrinsic value and right to continued existence, no matter what the costs to humans?

The Tribes

Industrial interests §The Regional Economy l 10 PNW smelters l Annual income of ~$200 million l Consumption of 3,145MW at Capacity §The Labor Force §Subsidized?

Regional Economics §Local significance l Most smelters account for < 1% of local employment l Klickitat and Wasco employment > 8% §Regionally insignificant l Direct employment – 10,000 l Indirect employment – 40,000 l 0.65% of Employment PNW

Previous need for Aluminum §Aluminum wasn’t internationally competitive §Nearby stores of bauxite in Beautiful British Columbia with oversized electrical infrastructure §Supportive industry: Boeing?

Future of industry in the PNW §Aluminum is now International l Globalized markets l Newer smelting technology §Boeing bailed l Chicago office detaches labor questions l Japanese bidding for wing manufacture l Assembly plant will remain, aluminum manufacturing may leave

Agriculture §The snake dams benefit agricultural interests in two ways: §Most importantly by providing low cost transportation via barges §And to a lesser degree by providing irrigation to 13 large farming operations

Agriculture in the Modern World §Regardless of what happens to the dams farmers face an uncertain future due factors such as: §Increasing consolidation among farms §Increased competition due to globalization §Depressed wheat prices

Agricultural and Dams Ethical Issues §Turning rangeland into productive farmland via irrigation §Subsidizing farms – at what cost? §A way of life was created, now it is threatened

Municipal Impacts §Four Municipalities l Burbank l Asotin l Clarkston l Lewiston §Population 36,500 §14 wells

Municipal Impacts Cont. §Assume 70% - $100,000 §Energy cost l 50-foot loss of water table l 100 gpdpc l $.10 / kilowatt-hour l 90% efficiency l COST 80 cents per person per year

Navigational Impacts § 8 Dams §4 Snake

Navigational Impacts Cont. §Lewiston world’s most inland port 465 mi. §Ocean to Portland/Vancouver l 106 miles l Dredge to 40-foot depth §Portland to Lewiston l 359 miles l Minimum 14-foot depth

Navigational Impacts Cont. §Cargo l 17 million tons enter from ocean l Agricultural harvest §Federal Government - $43 million

Navigational Impacts Cont. §Transportation Improvements l Rail and Roadway - To Tri Cities l $260 million l 75/25 split $200 million §Grain Train l cars l additional 36 cars

Navigational Impacts Cont. §Breach Dams l Sediment load l Lower Granite and Little Goose first l Lower Monumental and Ice Harbor second

Alternative Actions §Status Quo §Take them out §Phase them out §Terrorist attack: ELF

Advised Action & Effects §Remove the dams §Winners: l Tribes l Fish l Recreation l Some industries & municipalities §Losers: l USACE l Agriculture l Some industries & municipalities