dams along the snake river by jason smith, allegra abramo, shira bieler, jeff payne, mike miller
Post on 20-Dec-2015
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TRANSCRIPT
Dams Along the Snake River
By
Jason Smith, Allegra Abramo,
Shira Bieler, Jeff Payne, Mike Miller
Lower Snake Questions:
Who are the stakeholders?What rights and interests do they have?What role does each stakeholder play in the
region?What is the most economically viable
alternative?What is the ethical alternative?
The Current System
The Lower Snake River Dams Ice Harbor Lower Monumental Little Goose Lower Granite
The Columbia River Basin
Ice Harbor Dam
River Mile 9.7Completed 1962, 1976Operate Pool 437-440Purpose Power, Nav.Other Fish, Rec.Res:SacajaweaLength 2822 ft.N. Abute. 624 ft.
Lower Monumental Dam
River Mile 41.6Completed 1969, 1981Operate Pool 537-540Purpose Power, Nav.Other Fish, Rec.
Res:L Herbert G WestLength 3791ft.S. Abute. 1075 ft.
Little Goose Dam
River Mile 70.3Completed 1970, 1978Operate Pool 633-638Purpose: Power, NavOther: Fish, Rec.Res: Lake BryantLength 2655 ft.N. Abute. 879
Lower Granite Dam
River Mile 107.5Completed 1975, 1978Operate Pool 733-738Purpose: Power, Nav.Other: flood, rec., fishRes.: Lower Granite LLength 3200 ft.North Abute. 1435 ft.
The FishHistoric runs of 10-16 million fish are down by 90%.75-80% Remaining fish are from hatcheries.4 Evolutionarily Significant Units (ESU) listed under
ESA (13 total in CRB).
Dams and FishDams kill large numbers of juveniles passing
over or through them.Obstruct return of spawning adults.Make water too warm, too slow, and reduce
essential habitat (gravel and woody debris).Many improvements have been made to
dams, but fish numbers continue to decline.NMFS says science is still out on whether
removal is necessary--will try other strategies for another 10 years.
Do Fish Have Rights?ESA: species must be
considered but allows for balancing of human economic interests.
Do fish have intrinsic value and right to continued existence, no matter what the costs to humans?
The Tribes
Industrial interests
The Regional Economy 10 PNW smelters Annual income of ~$200
million Consumption of
3,145MW at CapacityThe Labor ForceSubsidized?
Regional Economics
Local significance Most smelters account for < 1% of local
employment Klickitat and Wasco employment > 8%
Regionally insignificant Direct employment – 10,000 Indirect employment – 40,000 0.65% of Employment PNW
Previous need for Aluminum
Aluminum wasn’t internationally competitiveNearby stores of bauxite in Beautiful British
Columbia with oversized electrical infrastructure
Supportive industry: Boeing?
Future of industry in the PNW
Aluminum is now International Globalized markets Newer smelting technology
Boeing bailed Chicago office detaches labor questions Japanese bidding for wing manufacture Assembly plant will remain, aluminum
manufacturing may leave
Agriculture
The snake dams benefit agricultural interests in two ways:
Most importantly by providing low cost transportation via barges
And to a lesser degree by providing irrigation to 13 large farming operations
Agriculture in the Modern World
Regardless of what happens to the dams farmers face an uncertain future due factors such as:
Increasing consolidation among farmsIncreased competition due to globalizationDepressed wheat prices
Agricultural and Dams Ethical Issues
Turning rangeland into productive farmland via irrigation Subsidizing farms – at what cost? A way of life was created, now it is threatened
Municipal Impacts
Four Municipalities Burbank Asotin Clarkston Lewiston
Population 36,50014 wells
Municipal Impacts Cont.
Assume 70% - $100,000Energy cost
50-foot loss of water table 100 gpdpc $.10 / kilowatt-hour 90% efficiency COST 80 cents per person per year
Navigational Impacts 8 Dams4 Snake
Navigational Impacts Cont.
Lewiston world’s most inland port 465 mi.Ocean to Portland/Vancouver
106 miles Dredge to 40-foot depth
Portland to Lewiston 359 miles Minimum 14-foot depth
Navigational Impacts Cont.
Cargo 17 million tons enter from ocean Agricultural harvest
Federal Government - $43 million
Navigational Impacts Cont.
Transportation Improvements Rail and Roadway - To Tri Cities $260 million 75/25 split $200 million
Grain Train 1995 - 29 cars 1998 - additional 36 cars
Navigational Impacts Cont.
Breach Dams Sediment load Lower Granite and
Little Goose first Lower Monumental
and Ice Harbor second
Alternative Actions
Status QuoTake them outPhase them outTerrorist attack: ELF
Advised Action & Effects
Remove the damsWinners:
Tribes Fish Recreation Some industries & municipalities
Losers: USACE Agriculture Some industries & municipalities