Details on Federal Columbia River Basin Project

Photo: Bonnie Moreland/Flickr

Last week it was announced that the Biden administration has entered into an agreement with tribes and local governments to work on the Columbia River Basin. That agreement is meant to span the next decade, and includes initiatives around energy, recreation, agriculture, and transportation.

This formal agreement, combined with other projects, will deliver $1 billion to the Columbia River Basin in the next decade, according to The White House.

A big focus is on the restoration of wild salmon to the Columbia River, including an indirect remark about breaching the lower four Snake River Dams.

Specifically, the Biden administration has directed its various agencies to:

• Allocate $300 million over the next ten years to “native fish and their habitats.” That money will come from the Bonneville Power Administration, which operates under the Department of Energy. “Of this $300 million, $100 million would be provided to the four Lower River Treaty Tribes, Washington, and Oregon to use for fish restoration projects, and $200 million would be provided for hatchery modernization, upgrades, and maintenance,” per The White House.
• Sponsor clean energy programs in coordination with the tribes throughout the Columbia River Basin. Per The White House,” The Department of Energy is committing to support the development of at least one to three gigawatts of Tribally sponsored clean energy projects to build energy infrastructure that, if Congress authorizes breach of the Lower Snake River Dams, could help to replace the power generated by those dams.”
• Study dam services throughout the region to determine if the current federally-administered dams are providing adequate transportation, recreation, and irrigation needs to help Congress determine if it should authorize the breaching of the lower four Snake River Dams.

It’s likely no coincidence that much of this announcement mentions breaching dams on the Snake River after last week’s leak that showed the Biden administration is at least open to the possibility of removing those dams. Breaching the lower four Snake River dams would, according to wild fish advocates and conservation groups, vastly restore habitat for endangered salmon and steelhead, leading to widespread recovery of the species.