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Group Promotes Advantages of Dams by Elaine Williams Lewiston Tribune, May 8, 2022

"Our region can and does have both healthy rivers and a healthy economy"
-- Alex McGregor, chairman of the McGregor Co. in Colfax

An organization representing Clearwater Power and the Asotin County Public Utility District has launched a campaign publicizing the benefits of the four lower Snake River dams.

The marketing is happening at a time when salmon advocates, including the Native American tribes of the Columbia River Basin, environmental organizations and fishing groups, are pushing for removal of the dams.

Northwest RiverPartners has a different perspective.

The dams provide affordable, reliable, carbon-free energy that fills in the gaps for intermittent power sources like wind and solar, according to a news release from Northwest RiverPartners.

North central Idaho and southeastern Washington wheat farmers depend on barging that the dams enable to help get their grain to Portland, Ore., where it is transferred to vessels that take it to overseas customers, according to the news release.

"This is not an either-or proposition -- our region can and does have both healthy rivers and a healthy economy," said Alex McGregor, chairman of the McGregor Co. in Colfax, in the news release.

"Over half of America's wheat destined for export comes down the Columbia and Snake canyons," he said. "Moving from barges would mean 38,000 more rail cars down the crowded lines that parallel the Columbia or 149,000 semi trucks."

A number of organizations in the area are members of Northwest RiverPartners besides Clearwater Power and the Asotin County Public Utility District. Among them are Idaho County Light & Power and the Lewis Clark Valley Chamber of Commerce, as well as the ports of Lewiston, Clarkston and Whitman.