Dam breaching not feasible at this time, Inslee and Murray announce

The energy and transportation infrastructure does not yet exist to allow breaching of the lower Snake River dams, according to a monthslong investigation by Washington’s two senior politicians.

While saying restoration of the Snake River to its free-flowing state is the strongest action available to help threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead in Idaho, eastern Washington and northeastern Oregon, Gov. Jay Inslee and Sen. Patty Murray said doing so is not feasible right now.

“We must recognize that breaching the dams does in fact offer us the best chance at protecting endangered salmon and other iconic species that run through these waters,” Inslee said in a prepared statement. “But the hydropower and economic benefits of the dams are significant, and breaching them before we have other systems in place to replace those benefits would be disastrous.”

He also told the Tribune in an interview that closing the gap is feasible and the region and nation should work toward that goal on multiple fronts.

“First thing is we have to do all of this work, not just one part of it, It’s not just energy, it's not just transportation. It's not just access to irrigation. It's all of these things,” he said. “And we have to have a comprehensive plan to replace them all. So what we propose is to engage all of our multiple tools in the toolbox to develop the plans and implementation policies to get those things done. It’s a lot of work and this is pushing the go button on that work.”

Murray said in a statement that the region’s goal to move toward a green energy future played a factor in the decision.

“Importantly, the Pacific Northwest cannot delay its decarbonization goals as we confront the climate crisis. Key infrastructure and energy investments must be in place before we seriously consider breach,” she said. “Still, specific salmon runs are struggling, and breach is an important option that could help save the salmon — and we cannot under any circumstances allow the extension of salmon to come to pass.”

Supporters of the dams were relieved Inslee and Murray did not emphatically endorse dam removal. Kurt Miller, executive director of the Northwest River Partners, said the nuanced position taken by Inslee and Murray shows they listened to stakeholders like his members that depend on hydropower produced at the many dams along the lower Snake and Columbia rivers.

“We have been saying the technology doesn't exist yet to achieve the region’s decarbonization requirement without the dams. I think their statement confirms that. It confirms they recognize that,” he said. “It sounds like they really listened to the experts on these issues and came away with what I think is a responsible answer that really we just can’t do it right now.”

Last year, Inslee and Murray commissioned the report to help them solidify their position on salmon recovery and determine if dam breaching is necessary. It found breaching will cost between $10.3 billion and $27.2 billion at a minimum over the next 50 years.

Breaching the dams would increase the survival of juvenile and adult salmon, according to many fisheries scientists who have studied the issue. But it would also eliminate the generation of electricity at the hydropower dams, eliminate tug-and-barge transportation between Lewiston and the Tri-Cities, and reduce irrigation capacity near the Tri-Cities.

Last month, the Biden administration said in a draft report that the dams must be breached if Snake River salmon and steelhead runs are to be restored to levels that allow for the sustainable harvest of wild fish. The federal government and plaintiffs in a long-running lawsuit over Snake River salmon and operation of the federal Columbia Hydropower System are in settlement talks that were recently extended to run into 2023.

The recommendations of Inslee and Murray are available at bit.ly/3Kk6l5h and the full report is available at bit.ly/3Cs6m5c.

For more on this story, see Friday’s edition of the Daily News.

Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2273. Follow him on Twitter @ezebarker.