Posted: Thursday, March 24, 2011 10:00 AM
Swift
Brett Swift
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Fewer dams will improve Columbia-Snake river system
By BRETT SWIFT
For the Capital Press
Woody Guthrie sang the virtues of a working Columbia River nearly 70 years ago.
Back then, a working river meant an industrialized river harnessed for power and irrigation.
Today, we need to make the Columbia a working river that "rolls on" in a way that balances hydropower, barge navigation and irrigation with the amazing array of services a healthy river provides. These services include clean drinking water, healthy fisheries and recreational activities like fishing, birding, boating, hiking and camping that improve our quality of life and attract new businesses and jobs.
The next several years will be pivotal for ensuring that the Columbia River and its tributaries work for farmers, fishermen, communities and the environment. This effort will be won or lost based on how we manage the following benefits that the Columbia and its tributaries provide.
Water supply: Irrigated land in the Columbia Basin is vital to the health of our economy and food supply. Many communities rely on water from the Columbia and its tributaries for household uses. American Rivers advocates using water more efficiently on farms and in homes, lining and piping irrigation canals and strategically locating -- or relocating -- irrigation diversions to provide irrigation or municipal water in a manner that minimizes impacts on native fish.
In addition, the renegotiation of the Columbia River Treaty with Canada may open the door to new sources of water to benefit fish, agriculture and hydropower production on the American side of the border.
Native fish: Protecting and restoring the Columbia's imperiled native salmon, steelhead, lamprey and bull trout will require big changes in dam management, agricultural and domestic water use and land management, to name just a few key factors.
Improving fish survival past the mainstem Columbia and Snake river dams is the most important near-term step we should take to restore healthy, sustainable fish runs. The most straightforward way to accomplish this is to maintain court-ordered spill over the Columbia River dams and restore a free-flowing lower Snake River by removing the four lower Snake River dams.
In the Yakima Basin, American Rivers advocates building fish passage for salmon, steelhead and bull trout into prime habitat and improving irrigation practices to revitalize habitat in key streams. In the Deschutes Basin, American Rivers advocates for improving irrigation efficiency and permanently protecting conserved water in-stream to help ensure the success of the recent reintroduction of salmon and steelhead into the Upper Deschutes.
Energy: We need to maximize our investment in energy efficiency and we need to integrate wind and other renewable energy into our energy supply. This will give the region more flexibility when it comes to reducing the impact of hydropower dams on salmon, steelhead and lamprey. It will also help wean the region off of nonrenewable, carbon-emitting energy sources like coal.
Any new hydropower should come from upgrades at existing dams that are compatible with salmon recovery strategies and do not harm downstream flows.
Transportation: Our largely export-oriented agricultural economy depends on affordable freight transportation to the Port of Portland and other lower Columbia River ports. Investing in improvements to the Columbia River barge system, upgrading and rebuilding Palouse-area railroads and improving the inland Northwest's highway system will allow the region to modernize its freight transportation system to better serve domestic and international markets. And it will allow grain currently shipped down the lower Snake River to move affordably via other means in the event of lower Snake dam removal.
Flood control: To mitigate for changes in river flows caused by global warming, river managers should consider whether new flood control operations can keep downstream communities safe and protect or improve flows for salmon at the same time.
In addition, Lower Granite Dam on the lower Snake River near Lewiston, Idaho, is filling with sediment, raising the river level and threatening to overtop Lewiston's levees. Dismantling this dam would remove the threat of catastrophic flooding, benefit salmon and allow for a restored riverfront in the Lewiston-Clarkston area. Communities throughout the Columbia Basin should invest in natural protection from flood damage by restoring floodplains and protecting existing floodplains from development.
The river management issues facing the Columbia Basin are complicated and intertwined. American Rivers recognizes the many contributions of the Columbia to the Northwest's economy, culture and environment and we stand ready and willing to work with other river stakeholders to make 21st century management of the Columbia River a success story.
Brett Swift is Northwest regional director of American Rivers, a national river conservation organization that has had a presence in the Pacific Northwest for almost 20 years.
Comments made about this article
Posted By: F. David Wells On: 3/30/2011
Title: Dams and Liberal Thinking
Mr. Swift,
Just a few short years ago, published articles in the 'Idaho Mistakesman' ran high with emotion and deep with sentiment 12-1 with any redeeming facts about water management on our PNW waterways. That paper's management has now failed and been replaced, downsized and put in its place. It also reminds me of the same, blind mentality that lacked the facts of life, especially the economic facts of life that has us locked us all up with the most economically ignorant political administration in the short history of the United States. "Feel good" preaching, was not an asset of the biblical prophet, Isaiah. Feel good preaching makes life 'all comfy" for the moment, when doom can be right around the corner. In other words, it might be better if NOTHING had been said, when the REAL STORY aches to be told. You had a very feel good article.
Your "Fewer Dams..." is so well written, that I am amazed at the effort taken to make it acceptable. Keep up the writing, but I would like to challenge you to get past the good feelings of your noble effort to please both sides. I don't care how you say it, FEWER RESOURCES with which to deal with "Mamma Nature" show you would be at peace in the grave when you could have avoided it with a little planning! You didn't mention the "all-time record," not only this year but in the average of the last 3 years, the successfully returned Salmon count. This is a subject that DOES and IS of major concern, because we could do and will do better in our management. You didn't give supporting figures as to the quality of life that is brought to PEOPLE as a result of our water management. Quoting just the larger numbers which make the small dams less significant, is good totalitarian thinking.
As we try to prepare for the needs of the future, we are growingly frustrated with "genetically engineered thinking" that global warming is our greatest threat. You could at least disguise your mind set by using an honest term of "climate change." The climate is ALWAYS changing and your perspective would have a little more credibility. The regulation of airborne particulates (in agriculture) by the "god-squad" from Washington D.C. who thinks that California's experience is the way to go..., is just a reminder that our culture struggles numbly with getting their mind around the science of our environment along with accommodating human life. I am beginning to think that environmentalists would be the happiest if we just eliminated people, then we would have the pure environment, again!
If you would consider an invitation to spend some time with some of the great people who have spent life-times and shared with generations, some of us would like to accommodate you. The BIG DREAMS that have been accomplished by our former generations for management of our dams and water resources for the greater, common good, are a miracle, by today's standards. In fact, those dreams could not be accomplished today, thank you! We yearn for and need talented writers like you, but PLEASE, please, let's get serious in a way that is going to help us manage our wonderful resources, before we dream our way into oblivion with our warm, fuzzy thinking!
Posted By: On: 3/30/2011
Title: Not all dams created equal
I'd say Swift is pretty reasonable here. The Columbia-Snake River "system" remains out of balance. Not all of these dams are created equal and the four on the lower Snake River are causing some real problems. Let's make the right changes now - and yes, that should include a look finding alternatives to some of the dams - to recover salmon and the salmon economy while keeping farms thriving.
Posted By: kbirrigator On: 3/25/2011
Title: Brett must be conflicted
American Rivers continues to be very consistent with it's desire to destroy ALL dams. Behind closed doors A. R. wants them gone, here they "sound" like they desire "balance". I for one do not believe this for one second. Their tactic has always been compromise, compromise, compromise. Problem is, agriculture always ends up on the negative side of the compromise. A. R. is very content, as are most environmental groups, in settling for small bits of progress for their side. They NEVER end up on the negative side. Agriculture and the citizens ALWAYS end up on the negative side. Little by little, we are being destroyed. It is time to stand up to the environmental bullies!! Stop the ESA and it's rampant misuse.