Breaching boon for some, bust for others
A talk with state officials, consultants shows that recreationist in the area see both opportunity and loss in dam removal
The ways in which breaching the lower Snake River would affect recreation depends on your perspective.
Those who love to water ski, tube or wake board and folks who love to dip a paddle in flat water would feel a loss without the dams. The same goes for businesses that rely on dollars from tourists like cruise ship visitors.
But people who like to fish on free-flowing rivers or kayak, raft and jet boat on moving water would see their opportunities increase. Populations of fish like salmon and steelhead may become more abundant without the dams, which could keep tourism dollars flowing.
That is what officials from the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office, Army Corps of Engineers and consultants associated with a study on recreation in a post-dam era heard during a focus group meeting at the Asotin County Library on Thursday evening. The state and federal agencies are partnering in a study centered on how recreation would change without the dams.
“So to us that means understanding what recreation activities currently happen in the corridor. What are the facilities and services that go to support that current recreation and in the possible scenario where the rivers drawn down and the dams are breached, what would recreation look like in the future, and what facilities and support services would need to be invested in in order to facilitate that future recreation scenario,” said Ben Donatelle, a policy specialist for the Recreation and Conservation Office.
Following a short introduction, the few dozen people at the meeting broke into groups and shared with facilitators how they use the river and its corridor now and how recreation could be improved. Answers included a wide range of activities including walking on the levee pathways, pleasure boating, fishing, hunting, birdwatching, hiking and camping. They said recreation could be improved by more access to the river, more trails, improved water quality, and more roads along the river west of Chief Timothy Park and Wawawai.
Next, the groups were asked to discuss how their preferred recreation would change if the dams were breached and what sorts of changes would be needed to support future recreation. Those who love to water ski or power boat said the reduction in surface area of the river and the dangers from their props hitting rocks would lead them to recreate elsewhere. Others said the cruise ship industry and its positive economic impact would be lost.
Anglers said a river without dams would increase the abundance of salmon and steelhead. The exposed land and the riparian areas that would emerge would provide more habitat for wildlife and more opportunities to hike, hunt and camp. Multiple day rafting and kayaking trips would develop and some said a desire for people to see what the river looks like and how the area rehabilitates over time could create a new tourism niche.
Those unable to attend Thursday’s meeting can participate in an online version to be held from 5:30-7 p.m. Wednesday. More information is available at snakeriverrecreation.com.
The Recreation and Conservation Office will soon wrap up its effort and hand the results off to the corps, which will look at how facilities can be improved to support recreation if the dams were to be breached and how much it might cost. A draft of the work is expected to be available this fall and a finale near the end of the year.
The study is an outgrowth of a settlement agreement between salmon advocates and the federal government involving litigation over existing plans to operate the dams in a way that considers the needs of threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead. The agreement calls for a 5-to-10-year pause in the litigation and the implementation of studies like this one that examine how to replace the services of the dams.
Barker may be contacted at ebarker@lmtribune.com.
