FAQs
Overall
Energy
Transportation
Farmers
How do the Lower Snake River dams violate Federal Laws?
The dams are in direct violation of the Endangered Species Act for 13 species of salmon and for Southern Resident Orca.
According to the ESA destroying critical habitat of an endangered species is a crime.
According to the American Fisheries Society, and their scientists - the Lower Snake River dams directly destroy the habitat for the salmon and indirectly for the Southern Resident Orca.
A total of 9 Laws are directly violated, many of them on multiple counts.
1 - Tribal Rights
2 - The Wilderness Act
3 - Sawtooth National Recreation Area Act
4 - Central Idaho Wilderness Act
5 - Clean Water Act
6 - Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act
7 - Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act
8 - Endangered Species Act x 14 (13+1)
9 - PNW Electric Power Planning & Conservation Act
Wouldn’t the dams have been removed already if it were as easy as you say it is?
The scientific and non-profit communities who’ve tirelessly worked to clarify how dam breaching can benefit all, have spent the last 30+ years asking this question.
The lobby powers are always stronger, and have been holding our wild salmon, orca, ecosystem, and climate hostage for profit gain.
We are committed to preventing the extinction of our wild salmon and orca while also improving the economic strength and well-being of the NW - it is where we live too! We demand action, and immediate implementation of solutions we know are possible.
If we want to save wild salmon and the southern resident orca, what do we do next?
Work together on an achievable plan with a clear and urgent timeline.
Pledge to safeguard their existence and prevent their disappearance under our watch.
Approach the topic with the mindset asking “How” and “How do we see their wild populations thrive.”
Don't we have to replace the energy the dams produce before breaching?
The energy provided by all four Lower Snake River dams barely makes up 4% of the energy used in the Northwest.
The consensus among non-BPA scientists and economists is that this energy is readily replaceable by existing systems. Therefore, we do not need to replace the energy before beginning breaching.
Breaching will create more incentives for renewables and more jobs in the renewable sector. That’s a win for jobs, energy, and investing in a sustainable future, not to mention a big win for the environment and wildlife.
Can we sustain NW energy requirements without the Lower Snake River Dams?
None of the four LSRDs were built with power and energy in mind. They were built for barging. The reason - even back then, when the rivers were higher and the electricity demand lower, the dams were not strong energy producers.
Also - during peak demand - winter and summer heat - the dams are at their lowest, producing at most 400MWh of energy as opposed to the 900MWs they can produce during peak production times in the spring when ice melt in higher elevations. That energy is not being used in the NW.
What will happen to shipping wheat by barge when the dams are breached?
Only a few of the farmers the government can support during the transition period will feel the impact.
For most of the grain transported on the barges in the Snake River, a rail alternative is already there at the same grain elevator.
For some farmers who use a grain elevator without rail access, trucking is an option until the rail system is extended to their grain elevator.
Multiple experts and grain growers vet this approach.
Will that raise the cost of grain?
Not necessarily, the subsidies used on barges could be transferred to temporary trucking to keep the cost equal.
The point is to work with the grain growers who can also benefit from removing the dams.
Will farmers lose the ability to irrigate their crops when the dams are breached?
Irrigation can still happen with a free-flowing river. Currently, irrigation is only provided by Ice Harbor dam.
The phased approach proposes to breach Ice Harbor last, providing ample time to lower irrigator pumps for farmers, and ensure they retain access to irrigation water.
Our approach is collaboration, unlike the profit-minded who tirelessly work to pit farmers against nature.