Despite Trump Reversal on Snake River Dams, WSDOT Studies It–Again

The Washington State Department of Transportation was tasked by the Democrat-controlled legislature to create a study, examining what the effects on the transportation system would be without the Snake River Dams.

   Dam removal is a federal issue, not state

In 2023, the Biden Administration entered into a secret memorandum with certain native tribes and environmental groups, a memorandum of 'understanding' to pursue if at all possible, the removal of the four lower Snake River dams.  No one was notified, not even Congress of this potentially illegal action.

Earlier this month President Trump issued a memorandum requiring the nullification and complete dismissal of the memorandum and all related dam-removal 'plans.'

But that has not  stopped WSDOT from continuing the study.   Although the first part was completed before Trump took office, WSDOT plans to move to phase 2-3-4 of the four-phase project.   According to WSDOT the four phases of the project include:

"Phase 1 – Understanding Needs
Phase 2 – Impacts and Safety
Phase 3 – Competitive and Regulatory Impacts
Phase 4 – Draft and Final Report" 

There is little doubt where the tone-deaf political language in the proposal came from, this is on the home page of the study on the WSDOT site:

"The Snake River from Clarkston to Pasco contains four dams (Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite). There has been much interest in removal of these dams for the benefit of salmon, steelhead, Pacific lamprey, bull trout, sturgeon and other native fish species. While there have been several studies that address the topic of removing the dams, there is limited understanding of how transportation would be affected."

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Besides the ag and transportation sector, power suppliers and recreation businesses and others all oppose the removal concept, and even Oregon Public Broadcasting reported 17 PNW environmental groups oppose the idea.

 WSDOT holds public information 'sessions' about the study

According to the WSDOT Facebook page, they still held public info sessions in our region:

  The continual efforts of WA state political leaders to pursue this topic are a moot point because dam removal can only be done at the Federal level by Congress. This WSDOT study appears to be another waste of taxpayer money. (writer comment)