Feds Open to Breaching Snake River Dams

Photo: Geoff Parsons/Flickr

The four lower dams on the Snake River have become one of the galvanizing issues in all of fly fishing. It’s widely accepted that these dams are one of the biggest impediments to salmon and steelhead recovery throughout the Columbia River Basin.

Well, last week, news broke that federal officials are open to the potential of breaching these dams. That news came via leaked documents which state that, “While this United States Government (USG) response does not constitute a decision by the USG to support legislation to authorize dam breaching, the USG continues to be committed to exploring restoration of the Lower Snake River, including dam breach…”

The biggest opposition to the dam removal to this point has been replacing the electricity they generate, as well as the elimination of cheap transportation of goods via river barges. The federal government has gone on record as willing to work with tribes and local governments to help replace the electricity, according to the Associated Press.

So, if the feds are willing to breach the dams and help with alternative energy development (read: the feds will likely pay for it) then why aren’t the dams on their way to coming down?

Well, it largely comes down to two things: the energy generated and the cheap transportation they provide. The feds have committed to helping regions throughout the Snake River area to develop “clean energy projects” to replace that hydropower. Clean energy is still viewed, especially throughout the West, as less reliable than traditional forms of energy generation, which makes residents wary of potential blackouts, higher energy costs, or both.

Add in the cheap transportation of goods via river barge (especially for farmers) and you have two legitimate reasons to oppose the dams coming down. On the other hand, of course, is the reality that salmon and steelhead in the Snake River will likely go extinct without the dams coming down.

While the end result all of us anglers want – free-flowing rivers and healthy populations of wild fish – might be near, it’s important to remember there are rarely easy solutions to these situations.