Snake River Dams

The Snake River

The Snake River is the Columbia’s largest tributary. The Snake and its feeder streams—many of which are mighty rivers in their own right—drain most of Idaho. Historically, the Snake River produced between one third and one half of the Columbia’s salmon, including millions of Chinook, steelhead, coho, and sockeye. The headwaters of the Snake, high in the Idaho mountains, are still some of the best salmon breeding areas in the Lower 48, insulated from development and the worst effects of climate change. Nevertheless, Snake River salmon and steelhead populations have collapsed and some scientists say they could go extinct in the next 20 years.

Lower Snake River Dams

For salmon and steelhead, the trouble starts when the Snake River leaves the Idaho mountains. The Snake flows roughly 150 miles through eastern Washington to join the Columbia near Tri-Cities—a stretch of water called the Lower Snake River. In the 1960s and 70s, the Army Corps of Engineers built four dams on the Lower Snake River to allow barging and generate a small amount of electricity. As scientists, tribes, and fishermen all warned, these four dams decimated the Snake River’s salmon and steelhead. The four dams transformed the Lower Snake River into a series of warm, shallow lakes where predators, dam turbines, and hot water kill too many migrating salmon.

Restoring the Lower Snake River

The situation is dire: Snake River salmon and Southern Resident orcas are close to extinction. But there’s still time to restore the Snake and Columbia rivers’ once-mighty salmon runs. As a region, we must unite around solutions to remove the four Lower Snake River Dams and re-invest in regional transportation, irrigation, and energy infrastructure. Working together, we can have a future that includes salmon, agriculture, and clean energy.

Murray and Inslee on Snake River Dams

Washington’s Governor and Senior Senator recommend replacing the services of the Lower Snake River dams.