Written by Ryan Smith, Government Affairs Coordinator
Spokane Home Builders Association

Lower Snake River - Advocacy Update

In late 2021, discussions began concerning the breaching of four dams on the Lower Snake River. While nothing has been finalized, under the direction of Governor Inslee, serious conversations and plans are being created with the end goal of breaching these dams. There are several reasons that this project
is gaining traction. The primary reasons being environmentally driven; efforts to preserve salmon and other wildlife populations. As noble a cause that this might be, the dams provide a truly immense number of resources for the Pacific Northwest, and the logistics for breaching of these massive structures are beyond what the region is capable of completing at this point in time.

On paper, the actual breaching of these four dams is logistically possible; humans placed these massive structures in the water, surely, we can modify them to suit our current needs. The issues arise when the topic of replacing
the lost revenue is broached. In total, the cost to replace the revenue generated in all sectors affected – energy, recreation, irrigation, employment, and agriculture – would cost somewhere in the range of $10.3 billion to $27.2 billion. Dams all along the Columbia River and her tributaries contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue, and savings, each year to local economies. Since 1980, the use of hydroelectricity in the PNW has resulted in $4 billion in consumer savings and 25 metric tons of CO2 emissions avoided. Dams produce clean, renewable energy; finding a substitute for this energy would cost $9.3 billion to $18.6 billion.

To call this project expensive is an understatement. Our region truly relies upon these dams for the smooth functioning of our
local economies. For more information about how vital these dams are for the security of Washington’s economic future, please contact SHBA Government Affairs Coordinator Ryan Smith at rsmith@SHBA.com.

www.SHBA.com
(509) 532-4990
5813 E 4th Ave, Suite 201
Spokane Valley, WA

The Spokane Home Builders Association is a member-driven organization that works to elevate professionalism in the residential construction industry, provide innovative resources and information to our members and engage in informative, effective advocacy on construction issues to create affordable housing options for the community. We promote, protect and educate the housing industry and our community.