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Panel Takes Up Bill to Protect Contentious Dams by Jennifer Yachnin Greenwire, September 2, 2025

A House Natural Resources subcommittee will also
weigh other Western water and wildlife legislation.

A House Natural Resources subcommittee will tackle Western water issues this week, ranging from a quartet of contentious dams in the Pacific Northwest to securing flows for California farmers. The Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee agenda includes Washington Republican Rep. Dan Newhouse's H.R. 2073, the "Defending our Dams Act."

The bill aims to prevent the removal of four structures on the Lower Snake River -- the Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite dams -- by prohibiting the use of federal funds for that purpose.

Native Americans and environmentalists argue the structures must be breached to restore Columbia River Basin salmon and steelhead populations.

"The Lower Snake River dams are the foundation of our region's energy security and are vital to deliver agriculture exports to foreign markets," Newhouse said in a statement when he introduced the legislation earlier this year.

. . .

Related Pages:
Trump Topples $1 Billion Columbia River Settlement Deal by Jennifer Yachnin, Greenwire, 6/12/25
Interior Casts Critical Eye on Columbia River Dams by Jennifer Yachnin, Greenwire, 6/20/24
NOAA: Breaching Snake River Dams 'Essential' to Save Salmon by Jennifer Yachnin, Greenwire, 7/12/22
Washington Punts on Fate of Lower Snake River Dams by Jeremy P. Jacobs, Greenwire, 12/23/19

H. R. 2073

To prohibit the use of Federal funds to allow or study the breach or alteration of the Lower Snake River dams, and for other purposes.

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 11, 2025

Mr. Newhouse (for himself, Mr. Baumgartner, Mr. Fulcher, and Mr. Bentz) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

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A BILL

To prohibit the use of Federal funds to allow or study the breach or alteration of the Lower Snake River dams, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the "Defending our Dams Act".

SEC. 2. LOWER SNAKE RIVER DAMS.

1. Prohibition on Use of Federal Funds.--No Federal funds may be used to allow, lead to, or study the breach or functional alteration of, including study of power, flood control, or navigation replacement of, or provide dam removal technical assistance for, the Lower Snake River dams.
2. Prohibition on Spillage Operations.--
   1. In general.--The Secretary of the Army, acting through the Chief of Engineers, may not carry out any spillage operations on any of the Lower Snake River dams unless such operations are approved by the Secretary and the Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration.
   2. Considerations.--In determining whether to approve spillage operations under paragraph (1), the Secretary and the Administrator shall consider all Columbia River System operations.
3. Definition.--In this section, the term "Lower Snake River dams" means the following dams in the State of Washington, authorized by section 2 of the Act of March 2, 1945 (chapter 19, 59 Stat. 21):
   1. Ice Harbor Dam.
   2. Lower Monumental Dam.
   3. Little Goose Dam.
   4. Lower Granite Dam.