PORTLAND, Ore. – Officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Washington State have entered into agreements to study recreation- and transportation-related services that could be needed if, in the future, Congress were to authorize the breach of the four lower Snake River dams.
The studies are part of USACE’s broader commitments under the December 2023 Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement, which secured a long-term stay in litigation while supporting the restoration of healthy and abundant wild salmon, steelhead, and other native fish to the Columbia River Basin.
Lt. Col. Katie Werback, Walla Walla District commander, digitally signed two separate agreements using the Planning Assistance to States (PAS) authority with Washington State’s Department of Transportation, and Recreation and Conservation Office.
“We recognize we have an important job to do, and we will continue meeting all authorized project purposes at the dams in the Columbia River System as we implement these agreements,” said Werback. “Although these studies are purely exploratory and not linked to any immediate federal decision on dam breaching, they are essential for evaluating potential impacts and ensuring the Pacific Northwest is fully prepared for a range of future scenarios.”
State and federal officials estimate the recreation study will cost $1.2 million and expect to complete it by 2026. The recreation study will seek to identify the potential loss of existing recreation opportunities associated with the draw down of reservoirs on the lower Snake River as well as necessary investments to accommodate potential future recreation opportunities under a dam breach scenario.
“Recreation is a big part of Washington State’s culture and identity,” said Megan Duffy, director of the Recreation and Conservation Office. “Not only does outdoor recreation improve the mental and physical health of our residents, but more than $26 billion is spent on recreation trips and equipment annually, supporting 264,000 jobs across Washington State. It’s important that we examine the potential impact to recreation in a scenario where the lower Snake River dams are breached.”
The transportation study will add $750,000 to an existing $4,000,000 Washington State study and expand the limits of the study into Idaho and Oregon. Officials expect to complete it in late 2026. The transportation study will analyze future transportation needs, volume estimates of goods to be transported, and evaluate changes in infrastructure that would be necessary to shift away from river-based transportation methods.
Werback signed the agreements using the PAS authority, which permits USACE to use its comprehensive planning expertise to supplement and support state and tribal efforts and is provided by Section 22 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1974 (PL 93-251), as amended.
“Planning Assistance to States studies are an important tool in our suite of Congressional Authorities that allows us to provide technical expertise and comprehensive planning assistance to State and Tribal planning efforts,” said Tim Fleeger, Columbia River Basin Policy and Environmental Coordinator. “It is important to recognize that these studies do not involve any implementation activities by the Corps of Engineers, but they do bring together experts from the Corps and our partners to provide data that can be critical to inform decision makers,” he said. “Only Congress can authorize breach of these dams. We will use all relevant data to inform our analyses, and we will continue engaging with our regional Tribes, partners, stakeholders and the public as we undertake these important studies.”
For more information on the PAS program visit www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Technical-Assistance/Planning-Assistance/.