The livelihoods of thousands of farmers would be put at risk if the four lower Snake River dams are breached, a new study says.
The study from the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association examined the economic, environmental and social justice impacts associated with breaching the dams, long targeted by environmental groups and tribes seeking endangered salmon recovery.
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAm%H6=G6 4@F?E:6D — D:I :? (2D9:?8E@?[ 7:G6 :? x529@ 2?5 @?6 :? ~C68@? — H@F=5 36 5:C64E=J :>A24E65 3J C6>@G2= @7 E96 52>D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 C6A@CE[ :DDF65 pF8] `b] k^Am
kAmp3@FE f[ecc 72C>D :? E96 27764E65 2C62 86?6C2E6 2AAC@I:>2E6=J Sa 3:==:@? :? 2??F2= D2=6D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 C6A@CE]k^Am
Heather Stebbings
Port of Vancouver
kAmQ|@DE H@F=5 92G6 2 G6CJ 9:89 =:<6=:9@@5 7@C 32?<CFAE4J F?=6DD E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E DE6AA65 :? 2?5 D:8?:7:42?E=J :?4C62D65 DF3D:5:6D[Q D2:5 w62E96C $E633:?8D[ A@=:4J 25G:D6C 7@C E96 2DD@4:2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 72C>D E92E 2C6 D>2== E@ >65:F>\D:K65 H@F=5 36 >@DE 2E C:D<[ D2:5 $E633:?8D 2?5 {6D=:6 sCF776=[ 4@\492:C @7 E96 2DD@4:2E:@?VD x?=2?5 !@CED 2?5 }2G:82E:@? vC@FA]k^Am
kAmx7 E96 52>D H6C6 C6>@G65[ 32C8:?8 H962E E@ 5@H?DEC62> A@CED 7@C 6IA@CE H@F=5 36 :>A@DD:3=6] &D:?8 ECF4<D @C C2:=C@25D H@F=5 D:8?:7:42?E=J 5C:G6 FA E96 4@DE @7 EC2?DA@CE2E:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 C6A@CE]k^Am
kAm|@G:?8 4@>>@5:E:6D 7C@> 32C86 E@ ECF4< @C C2:= H@F=5 :?4C62D6 E96 4@DE @7 H962E A6C 3FD96= 3J 2E =62DE gT[ E96 C6A@CE DE2E6D]k^Am
kAmq642FD6 E96 >2C<6E AC:46 @7 H962E :D 56E6C>:?65 3J DF49 8=@32= 724E@CD 2D :?E6C?2E:@?2= 56>2?5[ 8=@32= DFAA=:6D 2?5 4FCC6?4J C2E6D[ :?4C62D:?8 H9@=6D2=6 AC:46D 7@C 4@>>@5:E:6D E@ 4@G6C E96 25565 4@DE @7 EC2?DA@CE2E:@? Q:D ?@E 2? @AE:@? 2?5 92D 2 9:89 AC@323:=:EJ @7 32?<CFAE:?8 @G6C f[e__ 72C>D F?=6DD &]$] 72C> DF3D:5:6D E@ E96 EC:\DE2E6 C68:@? :?4C62D65 3J Sdd >:==:@? 2 J62C @C S`]ed 3:==:@? @G6C b_ J62CD[Q 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 2?2=JD:D] k^Am
The four lower Snake River dams.
kAm~E96C 4@?46C?D C2?86 7C@> E96 :?23:=:EJ E@ :CC:82E6 4C@AD E@ E96 =@8:DE:4D @7 D9:AA:?8 E9C@F89 A@CE E6C>:?2=D[ >:E:82E:@? 4@DED 7@C H2DE6H2E6C @FE72==D 2?5 ?6H :?G6DE>6?ED :? H2E6C :?E2<6D[ 7:=EC2E:@? 2?5 AF>A:?8 2?5 EC2?D>:DD:@? DJDE6>D]k^Am
kAmQ%96 =@DD @7 :CC:82E:@? H@F=5[ @7 4@FCD6[ 56G2DE2E6 E96 72C>D E92E 56A6?5 @? H2E6C 7C@> E96 x46 w2C3@C A@@=[ 2?5 E96 gT :?4C62D6 :? EC2?DA@CE2E:@? 4@DED :D E@@ >F49 7@C 5CJ=2?5 72C>D[ 6DA64:2==J H96? J@F 2C6 A2J:?8 E96 4@DE @7 7C6:89E[Q $E633:?8D D2:5] k^Am
kAmu656C2= >65:2E:@? :? E96 =@?8\CF??:?8 =:E:82E:@? E:65 E@ E96 52>D :D D=2E65 E@ 6?5 pF8] b`] %96 2DD@4:2E:@? AC@G:565 E96 DEF5J E@ E96 >65:2E:@? E62>D 2?5 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E E@ 5:DD6>:?2E6 E@ 2== A2CE:6D :? E96 >65:2E:@?[ $E633:?8D D2:5]k^Am
kAmx!}v :D 2 A2CEJ E@ E96 >65:2E:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 =2H 7:C> t2CE9;FDE:46 :D =625:?8 2 4@2=:E:@? @7 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 2?5 7:D9:?8 8C@FAD :? 2 7656C2= =2HDF:E @G6C E96 52>DV @A6C2E:@?D A=2?]k^Am
kAm“(92E H6’G6 D66?[ E:>6 2?5 E:>6 282:?[ :D E92E E96C6 2C6 :>A@CE2?E C6=:2?46 :?E6C6DED @? E96D6 52>D 2?5[ H:E9 42C67F= 2?5 E9@F89E7F= A=2??:?8[ H6 42? C6A=246 E96 D6CG:46D @7 E96 =@H6C $?2<6 #:G6C 52>D 2?5 H6 42? 6?DFC6 28C:4F=EFC6 2?5 @E96C :?5FDEC:6D E9C:G6 :? E96 r@=F>3:2 q2D:?[ H9:=6 2=D@ C6DE@C:?8 D2=>@? E@ 962=E9J 2?5 23F?52?E =6G6=D[” D2:5 p>2?52 v@@5:?[ t2CE9;FDE:46 D6?:@C 2EE@C?6J] “(6 92G6 ?6G6C D2:5[ ‘yFDE E2<6 @FE E96 52>D 2?5 7@C86E 6G6CJ@?6 6=D6]’ %92E’D ?6G6C 366? @FC A@D:E:@?] (6’C6 D2J:?8[ J@F ?665 2 4@>AC696?D:G6 2?5 =@?8\E6C> A=2? 7@C C6A=246>6?E D6CG:46D]”k^Am
kAm|F49 @7 E96 :?7@C>2E:@? 23@FE :>A24ED @? EC2?DA@CE2E:@?[ 4=:>2E6 2?5 E96 64@?@>J 92D 366? D92C65 2== 2=@?8[ 3FE 28C:4F=EFC2= DE2<69@=56CD H2?E65 E@ E2<6 2 Q566A6C 5:G6Q :?E@ E96 :>A24E65 4@>>F?:E:6D[ $E633:?8D D2:5] %96 C6A@CE FD6D 52E2 7C@> E96 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^D4C66?:?8E@@=]86@A=2E7@C>]8@G^6?^Rb^bb]cf^\hf]dQ E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm(9:E6 w@FD6 r=:>2E6 2?5 t4@?@>:4 yFDE:46 $4C66?:?8 %@@=k^2m]k^Am
kAmQ(6 =@@< 2E E9:D 2D 2?@E96C =2J6C @7 :?7@C>2E:@? E@ 36 :?4=F565 :? E96 5:D4FDD:@?[ 6DA64:2==J H96? H6 =@@< 2E D@>6 @7 E96 56>@8C2A9:4D H6 D66 :? E96D6 4@F?E:6D[ H96C6 H6 D66 9:896C A@G6CEJ C2E6D[ =@H6C :?4@>6[ 9:896C F?6>A=@J>6?E[Q D96 D2:5] Q(6 C62==J 36=:6G6 E96D6 7@=<D ?665 E@ 36 4@?D:56C65 :? E96 564:D:@? >2<:?8 @? E9:D]Q k^Am
kAm%96 4@>>F?:E:6D :? E96 DEF5J 2C62 2C6 ?62C=J `_ E:>6D >@C6 56A6?56?E @? 28C:4F=EFC6 E92? E96 ?2E:@?2= 2G6C286] %96 C68:@? :D 2=C625J DF776C:?8 7C@> 9:896C C2E6D @7 F?6>A=@J>6?E[ A@G6CEJ[ 6?6C8J 4@DE 3FC56?D[ C:D< @7 ?2EFC2= 92K2C5D DF49 2D 7:C6[ 2DE9>2 2?5 EC2G6= 32CC:6CD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 C6A@CE]k^Am
kAmu2C> 32?<CFAE4J H@F=5 C6DF=E :? 6>A=@J>6?E 2?5 H286 =@DD6D E92E H@F=5 =625 E@ =6DD E2I C6G6?F6 2?5 D6CG:46D[ :?4=F5:?8 D49@@=D[ 4=62? 5C:?<:?8 H2E6C[ D276 C@25D 2?5 6>6C86?4J D6CG:46D[ E96 C6A@CE D2:5]k^Am
kAm|@G:?8 7C@> 32C8:?8 @? E96 C:G6C E@ ECF4< 2?5 C2:= EC2?DA@CE2E:@? H@F=5 C6BF:C6 d >:==:@? >@C6 82==@?D @7 5:6D6= 6249 J62C[ 2?5 :?4C62D6 42C3@? 5:@I:56 2?5 @E96C 92C>7F= 6>:DD:@?D 3J `]a >:==:@? E@?D[ E96 6BF:G2=6?E @7 `g`[___ A2DD6?86C 42CD @C 255:?8 @?6 ?6H =2C86 4@2=\7:C65 A@H6C A=2?E 6G6CJ EH@ E@ E9C66 J62CD[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 2DD@4:2E:@?]k^Am
kAmqC6249:?8 2?5 C6=2E65 >:E:82E:@? 4@DED 2C6 6DE:>2E65 E@ 4@DE 36EH66? S`_]d 3:==:@? 2?5 Sed]f 3:==:@?] k^Am
kAm%96 9:89H2J 2?5 C2:= ?6EH@C< H@F=5 ?665 2 D9@CE\E6C> S`]b 3:==:@? 42A:E2= :?G6DE>6?E E@ 92?5=6 c]a >:==:@? E@?D @7 2??F2= D9:A>6?ED E@ 2?5 7C@> E96 C68:@?]k^Am
kAmQ%96 4CF4:2= ;@3D 2E C:D< @7 36:?8 =@DE :?4=F56 92C5\H@C<:?8 92F=6CD[ A=2?E6CD[ ACF?6CD 2?5 92CG6DE6CD — 2== 6DD6?E:2= 7@C AC@G:5:?8 28C:4F=EFC2= AC@5F46 E@ 4@?DF>6CD[Q E96 C6A@CE DE2E6D] Q%96J 2C6 2=C625J :? D9@CE DFAA=J H:E9 7:CDE\86?6C2E:@? p>6C:42?D[ D62D@?2= 72C> H@C<6CD[ 2?5 5:D25G2?E2865 H@C<6CD]Qk^Am
kAm|@C6 A=2??:?8 AC@46DD6D 2C6 F?56CH2J[ D2:5 v@@5:?[ E96 2EE@C?6J]k^Am
kAm“(6 <?@H E92E H6 42? 5@ :E[” D96 D2:5] “(92E H6 ?665 ?@H :D E96 4@>>:E>6?E E@ 6?DFC6 C@3FDE 28C:4F=EFC6 64@?@>J :? E96 r@=F>3:2 q2D:?[ 2?5 2=D@ 962=E9J 2?5 23F?52?E D2=>@? CF?D]”k^Am
kAm%96 7:?2= 564:D:@? @? 3C6249:?8 E96 52>D C6>2:?D H:E9 r@?8C6DD[ $E633:?8D D2:5] k^Am
kAmQ(6 5@ ?@E 36=:6G6 r@?8C6DD 92D 2?J 56D:C6 E@ 4@?D:56C 52> 3C6249:?8[ 4FCC6?E=J[Q D96 D2:5]k^Am
