LOWER SNAKE RIVER DAMS BENEFIT REPLACEMENT REPORT OVERSTATES BENEFITS, UNDERESTIMATES COSTS OF DAM BREACHING

OLYMPIA, WASHINGTON (JUNE 10, 2022) – The Lower Snake River Dams Benefit Replacement report, released this Thursday and requested by Governor Inslee and Senator Murray, attempts to identify mitigation and compensation for the immense benefits of the four lower Snake River Dams. These dams provide clean, reliable and inexpensive electrical power generation, water navigation for tourism and recreation, freight and goods movement—including key crops like Eastern Washington wheat, and irrigation for agriculture. The report does not make a recommendation on dam breaching, instead focusing on the immense costs associated with it—from $10.3B to $27.2B.

WPPA Interim Executive Director Patsy Martin recognized that report writers don’t fully value the river system, including the clean, reliable, inexpensive power, transportation, the growing tourism industry, and recreation benefits the dams provide.

“The Lower Snake River Dams Benefit Replacement Draft Report underestimates the costs and uncertainty associated with dam breaching, while overstating the benefits dam breaching would have on salmon and orca recovery in our state. WPPA continues to support strategies that are already underway and are working, like expediting removal of fish passage barriers connected to our roadways. This work is expanding habitat restoration to watersheds across the region. Ports participate in and support efforts around salmon and orca recovery which are scientifically based and don’t result in structurally adverse economic effects on communities in our state and beyond.”

Martin highlighted port-championed projects all over the Puget Sound region that are creating vital habit for salmon. “Resources should be focused where they can make the biggest impact”, Martin added.

WPPA will work with our membership and partners in navigation, agriculture, and other sectors to further analyze the report and communicate the value of the dams. An immense level of data, not currently available, would be required to provide the state an accurate cost to mitigate dam breaching. The draft report is open for public comment until July 11, 2022 and WPPA encourages you to participate. The report along with links to submit comments can be found at lsrdoptions.org.

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As a state legislative and regulatory advocacy organization, the Washington Public Ports Association (WPPA) fosters public policy for ports to achieve their goals. The WPPA was formed by the legislature in 1961 to represent public port districts throughout Washington, serving as the focus through which ports work cooperatively to develop policy direction, share information, and address issues on economic development, trade, transportation, and environmental stewardship. Public port districts offer a wide range of locally governed services, including marine terminals, barge facilities, industrial development, marinas, airports, railroads, and tourism promotion.

MEDIA CONTACT
Jessica Wilson
Washington Public Ports Association
E: jwilson@washingtonports.org
T: 360-528-0405