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Dams Along the Snake River

Dams Along the Snake River. By Jason Smith, Allegra Abramo, Shira Bieler, Jeff Payne, Mike Miller. Lower Snake Questions:. Who are the stakeholders? What rights and interests do they have? What role does each stakeholder play in the region?

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Dams Along the Snake River

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  1. Dams Along the Snake River By Jason Smith, Allegra Abramo, Shira Bieler, Jeff Payne, Mike Miller

  2. Lower Snake Questions: • Who are the stakeholders? • What rights and interests do they have? • What role does each stakeholder play in the region? • What is the most economically viable alternative? • What is the ethical alternative?

  3. The Current System • The Lower Snake River Dams • Ice Harbor • Lower Monumental • Little Goose • Lower Granite

  4. The Columbia River Basin

  5. Ice Harbor Dam • River Mile 9.7 • Completed 1962, 1976 • Operate Pool 437-440 • Purpose Power, Nav. • Other Fish, Rec. • Res:Sacajawea • Length 2822 ft. • N. Abute. 624 ft.

  6. Lower Monumental Dam • River Mile 41.6 • Completed 1969, 1981 • Operate Pool 537-540 • Purpose Power, Nav. • Other Fish, Rec. • Res:L Herbert G West • Length 3791ft. • S. Abute. 1075 ft.

  7. Little Goose Dam • River Mile 70.3 • Completed 1970, 1978 • Operate Pool 633-638 • Purpose: Power, Nav • Other: Fish, Rec. • Res: Lake Bryant • Length 2655 ft. • N. Abute. 879

  8. Lower Granite Dam • River Mile 107.5 • Completed 1975, 1978 • Operate Pool 733-738 • Purpose: Power, Nav. • Other: flood, rec., fish • Res.: Lower Granite L • Length 3200 ft. • North Abute. 1435 ft.

  9. The Fish • Historic runs of 10-16 million fish are down by 90%. • 75-80% Remaining fish are from hatcheries. • 4 Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESU) listed under ESA (13 total in CRB).

  10. Dams and Fish • Dams kill large numbers of juveniles passing over or through them. • Obstruct return of spawning adults. • Make water too warm, too slow, and reduce essential habitat (gravel and woody debris). • Many improvements have been made to dams, but fish numbers continue to decline. • NMFS says science is still out on whether removal is necessary--will try other strategies for another 10 years.

  11. Do Fish Have Rights? • ESA: species must be considered but allows for balancing of human economic interests. • Do fish have intrinsic value and right to continued existence, no matter what the costs to humans?

  12. The Tribes

  13. Industrial interests • The Regional Economy • 10 PNW smelters • Annual income of ~$200 million • Consumption of 3,145MW at Capacity • The Labor Force • Subsidized?

  14. Regional Economics • Local significance • Most smelters account for < 1% of local employment • Klickitat and Wasco employment > 8% • Regionally insignificant • Direct employment – 10,000 • Indirect employment – 40,000 • 0.65% of Employment PNW

  15. Previous need for Aluminum • Aluminum wasn’t internationally competitive • Nearby stores of bauxite in Beautiful British Columbia with oversized electrical infrastructure • Supportive industry: Boeing?

  16. Future of industry in the PNW • Aluminum is now International • Globalized markets • Newer smelting technology • Boeing bailed • Chicago office detaches labor questions • Japanese bidding for wing manufacture • Assembly plant will remain, aluminum manufacturing may leave

  17. Agriculture • The snake dams benefit agricultural interests in two ways: • Most importantly by providing low cost transportation via barges • And to a lesser degree by providing irrigation to 13 large farming operations

  18. Agriculture in the Modern World • Regardless of what happens to the dams farmers face an uncertain future due factors such as: • Increasing consolidation among farms • Increased competition due to globalization • Depressed wheat prices

  19. Agricultural and Dams Ethical Issues • Turning rangeland into productive farmland via irrigation • Subsidizing farms – at what cost? • A way of life was created, now it is threatened

  20. Municipal Impacts • Four Municipalities • Burbank • Asotin • Clarkston • Lewiston • Population 36,500 • 14 wells

  21. Municipal Impacts Cont. • Assume 70% - $100,000 • Energy cost • 50-foot loss of water table • 100 gpdpc • $.10 / kilowatt-hour • 90% efficiency • COST 80 cents per person per year

  22. Navigational Impacts • 8 Dams • 4 Snake

  23. Navigational Impacts Cont. • Lewiston world’s most inland port 465 mi. • Ocean to Portland/Vancouver • 106 miles • Dredge to 40-foot depth • Portland to Lewiston • 359 miles • Minimum 14-foot depth

  24. Navigational Impacts Cont. • Cargo • 17 million tons enter from ocean • Agricultural harvest • Federal Government - $43 million

  25. Navigational Impacts Cont. • Transportation Improvements • Rail and Roadway - To Tri Cities • $260 million • 75/25 split $200 million • Grain Train • 1995 - 29 cars • 1998 - additional 36 cars

  26. Navigational Impacts Cont. • Breach Dams • Sediment load • Lower Granite and Little Goose first • Lower Monumental and Ice Harbor second

  27. Alternative Actions • Status Quo • Take them out • Phase them out • Terrorist attack: ELF

  28. Advised Action & Effects • Remove the dams • Winners: • Tribes • Fish • Recreation • Some industries & municipalities • Losers: • USACE • Agriculture • Some industries & municipalities

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