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Corps releases Preliminary Recreation Study Press Release of unknown origin

Officials of the Walla Walla District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, released a preliminary report today on recreation benefits involving the four lower Snake River dams. The report is part of the Corps' on-going lower Snake River study on improving salmon passage.

Compared to the existing system alternative, preliminary numbers indicate that the average annual value of recreation and toursim on the lower Snake River, about $62 million, will remain unchanged under the major system improvements alternative.

Under the natural river drawdown alternative the value of recreation and tourism then increases to $129 million annually, using mid-range estimates, which represent an increase of about $67 million per year, according to Dennis Wagner, a senior economist for the Corps' Northwestern Division. Wagner chairs the Drawdown Regional Economic Workgroup (DREW) for the Corps' Lower Snake River Juvenile Salmon Migration Feasibility Study.

DREW was established to develop a comprehensive social and economic analysis, which includes recreation and tourism, for the lower Snake River study. DREW includes economists from federal agencies, the Northwest Power Planning Council, states, tribes, contractors and other regional stakeholders.

Wagner said high use projections in the report in excess of $300 million are unrealistic because they do not accurately reflect the limitations of the river. Wagner also said that the $67 million increase in the dam breaching alternative represented an increase of use by Californian households.

"It's uncertain how many Californians have visited the area in the past and would visit in the future," said Wagner. He explained further analysis indicated that the value of recreation under the breaching alternative, would only increase over the existing systems and major improvements alternatives by about $15 million a year, without the California households.

According to Greg Craham, project manager for lower Snake River study, the draft recreaton and tourism analysis is now available on the District's web site at http://www.nww.usace.army.mil.

"The Corps intent is to get more information out to the public on this study in the coming months," Graham said.

The Corps' study explores three alternatives for improving salmon passage through the four lower Snake River dams: Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite.

The alternatives being consider include: continuing the existing system; making major system improvements; and natural river drawdown, frequently described as dam breaching.

A draft feasiblity report/environmental impact statement will be released to the public for review in October 1999. A final document is expected in the year 2000.

"We are not taking comments on the preliminary reports," said Graham. "We will definitely seek public input and comment when we release the draft feasibility report and environmental impact statement in October."

The recreation and tourism analysis is only one part of the overall Economic Appendix of the feasiblility study. Other critical components of the economic analysis include power, transportation, water supply, tribal, regional, and social analysis. "For a true economic analysis of the implications of any of the study alternatives, economic costs and benefits of all the components of the analysis must be considered, but without any individual component taken out of context," said Wagner.

The final draft report will become the Recreation and Tourism Analysis chapter of the Economic Appendix of the Lower Snake River Juvenile Salmon Migration Feasibility Report and Environmental Impact Statement.

"It is important to note this draft analysis is still preliminary data and is subject to potentially extensive review and revision," said Wagner.

More information about the study is also available on the District's worldwide website.