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Lower Snake River Flows Sufficient Even Without Dams, Research Finds by Jennifer Yachnin Capital Press, October 10, 2024

The preliminary study will also examine new options
for water delivery, such as pipelines or pumps.

Farmers, cities and other users that tap the Lower Snake River for their water supplies could still rely on the waterway even if hydropower dams are breached and their reservoirs drained, given that the river's flow "far exceeds" existing demands, according to preliminary research.

The Bureau of Reclamation and the Washington State Department of Ecology shared their findings Wednesday in a public preview of their ongoing "Lower Snake River Water Supply Replacement Study" on current water supply needs and use in the region.

The study is being conducted as a result of the $1 billion settlement agreement the Biden administration struck late last year in a long-running federal lawsuit over hydropower operations on the Snake and Columbia rivers. The federal government is looking at how to restore fish populations in the Pacific Northwest, which dramatically declined after the construction of dams.

"All indications are that the availability of water in the Lower Snake River far exceeds existing demands," said Devin Stoker with the Jacobs Engineering Group, which is contract to conduct the study along with state and federal agencies.

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