House votes to take scientific approach on dams

A bill introduced by Cathy McMorris-Rodgers to maintain the 2014 Biological Opinion passed the House April 25. The BiOp, which was compiled and approved during the Obama administration, is a collaborative agreement on how to manage the river system to protect fish and support clean, renewable energy.

“Dams and fish can coexist, and after more than two decades in the courtroom, let’s let scientists, not judges, manage our river system and get to work to further improve fish recovery efforts,” said McMorris Rodgers.

“When the sun doesn’t shine and the wind doesn’t blow, our dams provide critical baseload energy to power homes and businesses all across Eastern Washington and the Pacific Northwest.

Not only that, they provide transportation and irrigation benefits for our farmers, flood control for our communities, and recreational opportunities that fuel our economy.

This isn’t about the merits of protecting salmon, we all agree on that.

This is about providing certainty and letting experts and scientists in the region, who know the river best, work collaboratively to meet that goal.

I’m proud to usher this legislation through the House.”

In March of 2017, U.S. District Judge Michael Simon issued a court order requiring federal agencies to increase spill over the Columbia and Snake River dams. This order, which formally began on April 2, is expected to cost taxpayers roughly $40 million. Many scientists contend that spill leads to increased dissolved nitrogen and other gases in the water, actually killing fish.

The bill was introduced alongside Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA), Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA), Greg Walden (R-OR), and Kurt Schrader (D-OR).

“There’s only one sensible way to balance the health of our salmon runs with residents’ need for low-cost, hydropower energy in the Northwest – and that’s to restore a scientifically-backed operations plan,” said Rep. Herrera Beutler (R-WA). “On behalf of our salmon, our Northwest ratepayers, our economy, and our environment, passing H.R. 3144 is vital to ensure that we’re relying on collaboration and science to best manage our river system.”

“Our bill finally codifies that science, not politics or the courts, should dictate the best way to balance fish recovery and the power needs in the Pacific Northwest,” said Rep. Schrader (D-OR). “Scientific experts steeped in fish recovery and clean renewable energy will be able to do their job based on good science rather than an ideological crusade to eliminate dams on the river system resulting in the loss of our region’s best carbon free energy asset.”

“We are blessed with a river system that allows goods to flow to market and provides renewable hydropower that generates 43 percent of electricity in our state,” said Rep.

Walden (R-OR).

“River operations that have been guided by years of research by federal agencies, tribes and other cooperators have now been threatened by court order, and Northwest families and our communities will likely pay the price in higher power rates.

This legislation provides needed certainty for power generation and river operations while federal agencies update the biological opinion and court proceedings continue.

This is important for our ag communities, renewable energy generation and power users across our region.”

“Given how difficult it is to get any legislation approved by Congress, House passage of H.R. 3144 is a momentous accomplishment,” said Terry Flores, executive director of Northwest River Partners. “It’s good news for salmon, which will continue to benefit from protections that are already working; for the environment, because the federal dams generate nearly 90 percent of the Northwest’s carbon-free, renewable energy; and for families and businesses who need relief from rising power rates resulting from two decades of anti-dam lawsuits,” she said.

Many in opposition to this legislation falsely cite declining salmon returns as the primary reason. In reality, since the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) started tracking fish returns in the 1930’s, fish returns have steadily increased and are at all time highs currently, largely due to increased collaboration and technology, the kind of collaboration the Congresswoman’s bill will continue. Find more information here.

This legislation has received overwhelming local support with more than 20 letters of support from diverse groups and interests including ports, unions, river users, power groups. and other important stakeholders.

According to northwest River Partners, “Today, there are more salmon in the Columbia River than at any time since the first lower Columbia mainstem dam was built at Bonneville in 1938. Many of these are hatchery fish, but wild populations are trending upward, too.

“The last decade, especially, has produced strong—at times even record-setting—salmon returns. Such abundance is primarily the result of good ocean conditions. Changes in how the dams are operated, installation of new technologies at the dams to facilitate fish passage, improvements in hatchery practices and a habitat restoration effort for salmon that is the largest and most expensive wildlife program in the nation and likely, the world, are helping, too.”