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WA's Snake Dams Involve Symbolism as Much as Mechanical Operations and Concrete by Darryll Olsen Tri-City Herald, March 21, 2022

It is with keen interest, of course, that I read the March 13 Tri-City Herald (hard copy delivery), and carefully considered Annette Cary's article on chefs-restaurateurs, et al., advocating dam breaching within the Lower Snake River (LSR) system; and coupled with an opinion piece by State Sen. Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, chiding Western WA fish environmental groups for casting the first stone, while apparently Seattle City Light has failed to provide adequate salmon protection on their Skagit River dams.

Another point of view is expressed by Kurt Miller, director of Northwest RiverPartners, where Partners assume the mantle of enlightenment, conveying that the chefs, et al., simply do not "understand" the facts (science), and then whines about the current federal judicial and WA State political leadership reviews being too "political."

To be concise: the dam breaching contingent consists of about 100-200 Ph.D. fish scientists (who, no doubt, enjoy salmon dinners), the key Northwest Tribes (led by the Nez Perce), the State of Oregon, and EarthJustice leading the major regional and national environmental groups. But they just "do not understand."

Like it or not, these groups did understand, and supported, the science in the 2020 Biological Opinion (BiOp) EIS, which determined that LSR dam breaching would provide higher fish survival rates than the current operations (preferred alternative). Hence, the principal reason for continued BiOp litigation, along with some omissions affecting the Environmental Impact Statement alternatives.

To be concise: the BiOp litigation "stay" provided by U.S. Federal Dist. (OR) Judge Simon is based on the "failed" EIS alternative, where the judge ordered the litigants to come back with a jointly supported alternative, by the end of July, or he will unleash the wrath of EarthJustice upon the river system. Gov. Inslee and Sen. Murray are in-tone with the Judge, where they are reviewing, along with the federal agencies and the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), "options to replace the benefits of the four LSR dams," being a part of a comprehensive salmon recover strategy.

To be concise: in previous years, the Columbia-Snake River Irrigators Association (CSRIA) attempted to guide the river economic interests (and Congressional representatives) toward ending the BiOp legal-technical horse whippings (by implementing an ESA Exemption), but they were too "enlightened" to pay heed to about 30-years of mounting calls for dam breaching. Better to bow toward the Portland lobbyists and power system intellectuals.

To be concise: today, the CSRIA "understands" that the LSR hydro system operations are going to change, and has addressed this pending "fact" by preparing an agency-grade, irrigation mitigation response to dam breaching (CSRIA.org, Risk Mitigation Review); and by outlining an option to four-dam breaching (Regional Alternative) that responds to multi-sector fish and economic impacts on the LSR system. The CSRIA has been talking with the federal-state agencies and CEQ about how this could be realistically brought before Judge Simon's Court via a supplemental EIS.

The CSRIA does not see much value in attempting to deflect the orders, or questions, levied by the Court or state politicians. The LSR dam breaching issue is, perhaps, best "understood" as the confrontation of disparate socio-cultural values, each reflecting different visions of the future. We view this conflict as transcending fish survival -- it is socio-cultural in it meaning and ultimate outcome. This involves symbolism as much as mechanical operations and concrete.

A Regional Alternative, separate from four-dam breaching, should attempt to "understand" technical, legal, and political factors influencing the path ahead. This requires an acceptance of a different "understanding" by all parties, a tough leap of faith.