OPINION: Great News For The Lower Snake River Dams

By Dan Newhouse:

Over the last four years, the Biden administration led a constant tirade of attacks on the four Lower Snake River dams. With dam breaching as the end goal, the administration refused to hear public or stakeholder input on how to support our region’s energy needs. Just last week, President Trump reversed course and signed a memorandum revoking the previous administration’s executive actions targeting our dams. 

The impact of the Lower Snake River dams is no secret to those who rely on their benefits such as low-cost energy, trade and transit, and water storage. Hydroelectric dams supply the Pacific Northwest with nearly 90 percent of its renewable energy, with the four Lower Snake River dams serving as the shining example of clean energy in our region. As Congress and the Trump administration work to restore American energy dominance and boost our domestic production, hydroelectric dams will play a key role in achieving that goal.

The Biden administration’s 2023 memorandum titled “Restoring Healthy and Abundant Salmon, Steelhead, and Other Native Fish Populations in the Columbia River Basin,” was marketed as a plan for improving salmon populations in the Columbia River Basin. However, fish health and sustainability were only a veil for the plan, which would have led to a de facto operational breach of the dams without any input from those who support the dams.

Salmon Recovery Efforts Must Continue

I have said for many years that dams, and salmon can and do coexist. We have made real progress over the years in helping salmon recover, and I am committed to working with my colleagues, the administration, and stakeholders to continue supporting salmon recovery efforts in the river system. I am glad to see President Trump’s memorandum “recognizes the importance of ensuring the future of wildlife populations in the Columbia River Basin.”

By revoking President Biden’s memorandum, the United States Secretaries of Energy, the Interior, and Commerce will now work with the Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and Council on Environmental Quality to begin withdrawing from agreements made under the previous administration.

The Dams Will Stay

I have said for years that as long as I am a Member of Congress, the Lower Snake River dams will remain. I have worked diligently with my colleagues in the House and Senate to build a coalition of public officials, stakeholders, and constituents who understand the importance of these critical pieces of infrastructure. We have worked to fill the void of local input with public opportunities for engagement, like our dam rally in 2022 and our public forum last year on how the dams support our way of life. I have led my colleagues in introducing a vast array of legislation to protect the dams, all while working through my role on the Appropriations Committee to fund salmon recovery efforts.

I am glad to see the Trump administration join the coalition, and I look forward to working with them to ensure our dams are here to stay.