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New Studies May Lead to Removal of Snake River Dams by Emily Senkosky Indian Country Today, March 24, 2025

To remove the dams, which provide energy, irrigation and transportation routes,
data on the feasibility of replacing their infrastructure was needed.

Time is running out to save Pacific Northwest wild salmon and steelhead, but studies conducted by tribes and the states of Washington and Oregon are providing data needed to preserve them and the ecosystems and economies that depend on them.

In February 2024, a joint agreement between Pacific Northwest tribes and the Biden administration commenced a new approach to recovering salmon and steelhead in the Columbia River Basin. Parties agreed to consider breaching the four lower Snake River Dams, which have long been contentious for their part in decimating fish populations. To remove the dams, which provide energy, irrigation and transportation routes, data on the feasibility of replacing their infrastructure was needed.

The Washington Department of Ecology and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation conducted the first study, which showed that the removal of the lower Snake River Dams would not affect the river's capacity to supply water for irrigation or for municipal and industrial purposes.

By providing three options for service replacement, the research was meant to give the public and decision makers baseline data that could inform future actions -- with water service replacement estimated to cost between $1.7 and $3.5 billion. According to Kayeloni Scott, executive director of the Columbia and Snake River Campaign, the studies were geared at finding out if dam removal was even possible.

"These pieces of information are critical for moving forward," said Scott. "The studies were meant to find out what would need to be replaced, what actions would need to be taken, and what it would cost."

Related Pages:
Dam Accounting: Taking Stock of Methane Emissions from Reservoirs by Tara Lohan, The Revelator, 5/25/22