Snake River dam litigation put on hold

salmon-dams

The Biden Administration agreed Thursday with the Nez Perce Tribe, the state of Oregon, and fishing and conservation groups to call a timeout to long-running salmon-and-dams litigation and seek a lasting fish recovery solution in the Columbia River basin.

The parties to the legal wrangling, which has spanned several administrations, submitted a proposed stay that includes an agreement outlining spill and reservoir levels at the dams next spring and summer. But the bigger development is the stated willingness of the parties to “identify and review alternative and durable solutions.”

Earlier this year, Rep. Mike Simpson, of Idaho, unveiled his $33 billion concept to breach the dams and mitigate affected communities and industries. Last week, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said he and Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., would seek ways to replace the services provided by the dams.

Breaching would speed the river’s flow and shorten the time it takes juvenile fish to reach the ocean. It would also eliminate the injuries smolts suffer while passing the dams. Fisheries scientists say those injuries result in lower survival for Snake River fish compared to those from other Columbia River tributaries.

But breaching the dams would do away with carbon free hydropower generation and eliminate tug-and-barge transportation that many farmers rely on to get their crops to market. The federal government has long resisted the idea. (Lewiston Tribune)

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