snake river dams

An Oregon judge has ordered changes to hydropower dam operations on the Columbia and Snake rivers, claiming current federal plans would further harm salmon runs.

A big thumbs up from a Washington state senator on the decision to stop federal talks about breaching the Snake River dams

Earlier this month, the Trump Administration issued a memo, pulling out of the Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement.  Supporters of the Snake River dams applauded the move, saying this will keep the vital infrastructure in place for the foreseeable future.  Central...

For a variety of reasons, there are multiple politicians, groups, and organizations that say they want the dams on the Snake River removed.  Casey Chumrau, CEO of the Washington Grain Commission said many outside of agriculture don’t appreciate what those dams do, and provide for farmers across the Northwest and beyond.  She said over...

Concern is growing in farm country that while the Snake River dams may not be physically removed, environmental groups may successfully get the dams “functionally disabled” in the name of fish conservation.  Eastern Oregon Representative Cliff Bentz during last week’s Natural Resources Subcommittee on the Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries said the conversation around fish populations is not looking i

On Wednesday, Lawmakers from across the Northwest, including central Washington’s Dan Newhouse, eastern Washington’s Michael Baumgartner, eastern Oregon’s Cliff Bentz, and northern Idaho’s Russ Fulcher introduced legislation aimed at protecting the Lower Snake River dams.  The three bills include:   ...

A Washington state senator is pushing to keep the four lower Snake River dams intact.  Senator Matt Boehnke said the dams are vital for agriculture, the economy and energy security.   "And really, at the end of the day, it keeps costs low in our environment that we're seeing the budget crisis in the state, we're having cost issues throughout. We want the ...

On Wednesday, Idaho Senator Jim Risch and Central Washington Representative Dan Newhouse introduced the Northwest Security Act.  The legislation would o require the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bonneville Power Administration, and the U.S. Army C...

Once again, efforts are underway to remove the Snake River dams.  Officials in the state of Washington as well as the Federal level say the dams must be removed to help salmon migration numbers as well as the overall environment.  Central Washington’s Dan Newhouse said over the past four years of the Biden Administration, the dams have been in the crosshairs, despite the many benefits they bring t

In late September, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a study looking at meeting electrical needs in the event that the four lower Snake River dams were removed.  This news comes of the heals of a variety of studies and proposal looking at removing the dams that are so important to the farming community across the Northwest, and across the nation.  Michell...