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Commentaries and editorials

Cheers: To Keeping Dams in Place

by Editorial Board
The Columbian, August 8, 2020

A Tidewater barge is loaded with grain at the Lewis Clark Terminal at the Port of Lewiston on Monday. A study funded by the Pacific Northwest Waterways Association indicates breaching Snake River dams would increase regional transportation costs by $2.3 billion over the next 30 years. (Pete Caster photo)

Cheers: To keeping dams in place. A federal study released this week recommends maintaining four dams along the Lower Snake River. The decision will continue hydroelectric production from the dams, assist with flood control, help irrigation for Washington farmlands and help maintain the Washington economy.

Environmentalists have sought removal of the dams, arguing that they hamper salmon reproduction in the region and, therefore, Puget Sound orcas that feed on salmon. Those are, indeed, important concerns, but the decline of salmon can be attributed to many factors. Removal of the structures would be devastating to the region’s economy and quality of life.

Related Pages:
Dam Breaching May Be Hazardous to Your Economy by Editorial Board, The Columbian, 1/9/20
Report Underscores Hazards of Dam Breaching by Staff, The Columbian, 1/9/20


Editorial Board
Cheers: To Keeping Dams in Place
The Columbian, August 8, 2020

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