Dam Busters

Summary of Dam Removal Proposal

Dam removal has been taken off the table for now. This report is provided because dam removal may be reconsidered in the future and to give citizens some insight about the extremes that environmentalists will go achieve their agenda. Although this proposal has been set aside, dams in other areas are in fact being taken down. The removal of the Mill Town Dam on the Clark Fork of the Columbia is just one example.

Editor's Note: Text in italics is provided by the editor. All other text is from the Executive Summary of the Army Corps of Engineers. Red letters indicate emphasis added by the editor.

DRAFT

The Lower Snake River Juvenile Salmon Migration Feasibility Report/ Environmental Impact Statement

US Army Corps of Engineers®

Walla Walla District

SUMMARY

Introduction

The purpose of this summary report is to provide an overview of the findings developed for the Lower Snake River Juvenile Salmon Migration Feasibility Study. For more detailed information, the reader should refer to the Draft Feasibility Report/Environmental Impact Statement and attached appendices. The genesis of this study is the National Marine Fisheries Service’s 1995 Biological Opinion for the Re-initiation of Consultation on 1994-1998 Operation of the Federal Columbia River Power System and Juvenile Transportation Program in 1995 and Future Years (95 Biological Opinion).

While the focus of this study is the relationship between the four dams on the lower Snake River and their effects on juvenile fish traveling toward the ocean, the implications of the study are broader. The Draft Feasibility Report /Environmental Impact Statement includes the best available information on the biological effectiveness, engineering, economic effects, and other environmental effects associated with the four specific alternatives. It does not, however, include a recommendation or identify a preferred alternative. This will give the public and other agencies an opportunity to review and understand this information and provide input before a preferred alternative is selected. At the same time, this will allow the region to consider the Habitat, Hatcheries, Harvest, and Hydropower Working Paper on salmon recovery by the Federal Caucus. Information from this process will be fully examined to determine how it may influence decisions on actions for the lower Snake River.

Defining the Problem

The decline of salmon and steelhead in Northwest rivers is a complex problem. Historically, the runs have been impacted by overfishing, dams blocking spawning grounds, and general habitat degradation. Many of these conditions continue today. Currently, other impacts include poor ocean conditions, predation, and competition from hatchery fish and non-native fish (introduced from other rivers) for food and habitat.

A number of improvements have been made to the dams in the last 25 years. The four lower Snake River dams, built in the 1960s and early 1970s, as well as other dams have been designed with features to aid both juvenile and adult fish. Successful features, such as juvenile fish bypass systems, the fish transportation program, and adult fish ladders are in place at all four of the lower Snake River dams. The problem is that Columbia Basin salmon and steelhead populations continue to decline. Under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) listed the Snake River sockeye salmon as endangered in November 1991. In April 1992, Snake River spring/summer chinook and Snake River fall chinook salmon were listed as threatened. Only 2 years ago, Snake River wild steelhead were also listed as threatened. In 1998, lower Columbia River steelhead were listed as threatened. In March 1999, NMFS listed another six anadromous fish in rivers throughout the Pacific Northwest under the ESA. This study focuses only on the four listed stocks for the Snake River.

Because the cause for the decline of the salmon is not known and the severity of the impact on human environment is great, Montanans For Multiple Use believes that Alternative 4 (dam breaching) would be a disaster for the human environment. It may also be detrimental to the environment of the imperiled fish.

Adverse Environmental Impacts of Alternative 4(dam breaching) Other Than Impacts to Imperiled Fish

RESIDENT FISH

...resident fish do not migrate to the ocean; they spend their entire lives in the river and the reservoirs created by the dams.

Under Alternative 4, there would be some negative effects on resident fish. In the short term, when the dams are breached, the rapid lowering of the reservoirs could strand some fish in shallow pools that will eventually stagnate. In addition, high turbidity and sediment in the water could cause trauma and injury, and low water levels could expose more fish to predators. In the long term, the resident fish population will be altered, as some species will not thrive in the faster flowing river.

WATER QUALITY AND FLOW

Under this alternative, flow velocities would increase and depths would decrease throughout the lower Snake River. Reduced river depths and cross-sectional areas of the channel would concentrate any contamination within the river. In a free-flowing river, there would be no spills, so total dissolved gas levels would decrease. During low-flow years, slower moving, shallow water may warm up during summer days. Water temperatures would be more like they were before the dams went into operation. High water temperatures, such as those observed before the dams, may occur.

SEDIMENTS

We estimate that 100 to 150 million cubic yards of sediment has accumulated behind the four lower Snake River dams since their construction. Dam breaching could result in significant movement of sediments. We estimate that 50 to 75 million cubic yards of existing sediments may be eroded and moved downstream. The majority of fine-grain silts would move quickly in the first few years following breaching. The coarser sands would move slowly downstream over 5 to 10 years. These existing and future sediments could move freely downstream toward McNary Dam and may cause some temporary adverse effects on food supplies for fish and bottom-feeding aquatic organisms. In addition, silt and sand now accumulated behind the dams could cause damage to pumps, valves, and other water system components. Resuspension of sediments following dam breaching could result in exposing chemical contaminants that have been contained in reservoir sedimentation. Three chemicals are of concern — total DDT, dioxin TEQ, and manganese. Only total DDT has any potential for affecting the biological system.

TRANSPORTATION

Each of the eight dams maintains a system of locks with sufficient depth to accommodate commercial barges. This system provides inland waterborne navigation from Lewiston, Idaho, to the Pacific Ocean, carrying commodity shipments from inland areas of the Northwest and as far away as North Dakota. Tugs, barges, log rafts, and recreational boats use the locks throughout the year.

Barge transportation would cease. Because barges are the least expensive means of transportion costs would increase. Most of the commodities are agricultural. Farmers must take the world market price for their crops; they cannot raise prices. Therefore some farms would become unviable and be converted to residential property contributing to urban sprawl in Idaho, Montana, and the Dakotas. There would be large capital costs to build new infrastructure for railroad and highway transportation.

Water Supply and Irrigation

Due to increased pumping heights and maintenance costs due to increased sediments costs will increase. These costs combined would result in an annual average cost of $15,424,000 over the 100-year period

Electric Power

The four lower Snake River dams have a peaking capacity of 3,033 megawatts, which accounts for approximately 5 percent of energy produced in the Pacific Northwest. Depending on what facilities are built and how they are funded, residential electrical bills could increase between $1.20 to $6.50 per month. Pacific Northwest aluminum companies, which are extremely large consumers of electricity, could see average monthly increases between approximately $170,000 and $940,000. These clean power sources would have to be replaced by dirty oil, gas, coal, or nuclear powered plants.

Economic

A detailed economic analysis has been done. The bottom line returns a 14 million annual benefit for the most beneficial alternative (2) and 246 million annual cost for the most costly alternative 4 (dam breaching)

Communities

Some communities located upriver of the four dams would likely experience net employment gains as a result of expected increases in recreation and tourism associated with a free-flowing river and increased fish runs. Communities located within the six counties adjacent to the lower Snake River reservoirs would likely experience a net decrease in employment due to decreases in dam operation employment and increased pressure on family farms caused by increased transportation, storage, and handling costs for agricultural products. Some communities located downriver of Ice Harbor Dam would likely experience employment loss if farms presently irrigated from Ice Harbor reservoir go out of business. These losses would be partially offset by expected increases in transportation and power generation related employment.

The Reliability of Predicted Outcomes

The necessity for Alternative 4 depends on the reliability of the predicted extinction of salmonids and the certainty of the cause for extinction.

The 1995 Biological Opinion issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) called for detailed analyses of alternative configurations and operations of the four lower Snake River dams to consider whether any of these alternatives would increase survival and recovery rates for the listed fish. The NMFS defined survival and recovery rates in this Biological Opinion. NMFS used two primary sets of analyses to help quantify the likely effects to the listed Snake River stocks — one developed by the Plan for Analyzing and Testing Hypotheses (PATH); the other known as the Cumulative Risk Initiative (CRI).

The PATH analysis develops models that predict the likelihood of achieving survival and recovery of the listed Snake River stocks. The PATH model results are influenced by the effects of direct and indirect mortality. Direct mortality occurs while fish pass through the hydrosystem. Indirect mortality is assumed to occur after fish have left the hydrosystem, but is caused by having passed through the hydrosystem, including transportation. PATH defines indirect mortality in two general categories, differential delayed transport mortality and extra mortality. NMFS’ evaluation (Appendix A) of these two categories stated, "Debate about the importance of post Bonneville effects of dams has been highly contentious and data with which to estimate these parameters are generally poor."

The CRI analysis estimates the likelihood of extinction of listed fish stocks occurring within specified time periods. It compares how certain actions, including those outside of the hydrosystem, affect the chance of the selected stocks meeting the NMFS definition of acceptable risk of extinction criteria. The CRI analysis also allows evaluation of what effects a delay in implementing actions would have on the chances of specific stocks going extinct.

Both CRI and PATH analyses relied on many assumptions for their predictions. Lack of specific values for many components in both analyses generated outcomes with a high degree of uncertainty.

General NMFS Conclusions (Effect of alternatives on salmon and steelhead)

The PATH analysis indicated that dam breaching has the highest frequency of achieving the survival and recovery criteria of listed Snake River species. The relative benefits of Alternative 4 (Dam Breaching) were dependent on assumptions about the quantity of differential delayed transport mortality and extra mortality assigned to the hydrosystem. . The CRI analysis suggested that it is unlikely that any of the alternatives alone, including dam breaching, could recover spring/summer chinook, unless extremely large survival increases below Bonneville Dam are achieved. Additionally, theoretical habitat improvements, harvest management and predator control on their own are unlikely to recover spring/summer chinook. CRI analysis indicates combination of many management actions may be needed to achieve recovery. Both fall chinook and steelhead reduction in extinction risk to acceptable levels, based on the CRI analysis, could be achieved through changes in harvest practices. Alternately, dam breaching (Alternative 4) could achieve recovery of fall chinook and steelhead if overall survival were increased by at least 20 percent.

The testimony of the DEIS makes it clear that the impact on human environments will be severe. To suffer the disruption of families, the dislocation of capital, the loss of jobs, the pollution of replacement power, the destruction of resident fisheries, the conversion of farm land into residential, the degradation of water quality AND some short term damage to the imperiled fish at a cost of 246 Million per Year is a prospect that should cause anyone to pause no matter how imperative its motivation. To do this when at least part of the objective (survival of the spring/summer chinook) is likely to fail regardless is SUSPECT. To proceed with dam breaching while their is any chance that a less destructive solution might also succeed is OUTRAGEOUS. To take this action when there is not even certainty as to the cause of the problem is CRIMINAL.

Considering the lack of scientific certainty as to the outcome or the necessity of this alternative and its serious consequences , it is surprising that it was ever proposed. Either well-intentioned people have become fatally fixated on the idea of rolling back the ages to pre-European conditions or their must be a hidden agenda driving this proposal.