Idaho Senate Republicans oppose federal dam removal proposal

BOISE, IDAHO. Idaho Senate Republicans voted to voice their objections to the recently floated federal plan to remove the Lower Granite, Little Goose, Lower Monumental, and Ice Harbor dams on the lower Snake River. The proposal, intended to assist in salmon restoration, would have severe economic and trade repercussions. Senate Joint Memorial 103, the measure opposing removal of the dams, passed the Senate 28-6-1 and if adopted by the House, would be the official position of the Idaho Legislature to be submitted to the U.S. Senate president, U.S. House speaker and congressional delegates for Idaho, Montana, Washington and Oregon.

"The dams play a critical role in recharging Idaho's aquifers and are vital to our farmers, ranchers, and dairymen who rely on Idaho's waters not only for irrigation but as a critical artery to principal export markets," said Senator Regina Bayer, Dist. 21-Meridian. Bayer added that “breaching the dams on the lower Snake River would be devastating to the Pacific Northwest and all of us who live here.”

The legislation, advanced by the Senate Resources and Environment Committee, states that breaching the dams could cause "an increased risk of floods, an increase in electrical rates, a shortfall in power generation, a loss of recreational opportunities, and a threatened quality of life for Idaho citizens."

The hydroelectric power provided by these dams is carbon-free, renewable energy that produces l,000 megawatts of energy each year, and up to 3,000 megawatts for power emergencies. These dams provide electricity to rural electric providers that serve more than 137,000 Idahoans.

Idaho Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Van Burtenshaw, Dist. 35 – Terreton, warned that “the potential impact to our farmers and ranchers, is significant. We have developed a tremendous system to move our commodities to the coast in an efficient and inexpensive way and our ability to export through the Port of Lewiston is critical. The loss of barging would dramatically increase the cost to get commodities to market.” He continued, “the removal of the dams could threaten water rights all the way down the river. I’m also concerned about the removal of the dams setting a precedent for the removal of other dams like American Falls, Palisades and others.”

From a trade perspective, the Columbia-Snake River System is a vital wheat exportation gateway with 10 percent of all US wheat exports and about 50 percent of all Idaho-grown wheat barged from Lewiston to Portland and thenonto export markets worldwide. The removal would also burden Idaho's road infrastructure as shipments would be shifted to roadways.

$33.5 billion to implement the plan administered by the federal Department of Energy Special Administrator, including;

· $10 billion "in a direct grant as firm clean power replacement" to utility companies for the lost energy generation from the dams; · Up to $1.4 billion for berm and sediment removal;

· An additional $900 million to be allocated to different funds geared towards restoration and mitigation; · Up to $4 billion in direct grants as "salmon spill replacement generation” intended to support new generation of non-carbon power to make up for lost power generation; and,

· $2.2 billion for the Snake River transportation network impacts; · A number of funds for different watershed basins to enhance water quality, temperature, and quantity in the Columbia Basin; and,

· The creation of funds to support river recreation and tourism.

Agricultural groups are strongly opposed, and others agree that this plan is not the answer, including the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association that shared that they "do not agree that breaching the Lower Snake River dams is the silver bullet that will address the complexities of recovering our region's wild salmon and steelhead."