Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River, seen from the air near Colfax, Washington. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River, seen from the air near Colfax, Washington. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

New report on Snake River dams could affect power bills

An anxiously awaited study on Columbia Basin salmon could have a ripple effect in Snohomish County.

EVERETT — Four dams on the lower Snake River help to keep the lights on throughout the Pacific Northwest, as key suppliers of electricity for the Seattle metro area and Snohomish County.

The dams also pose 100-foot-tall obstacles for a dwindling population of salmon, and the orcas who depend on them.

This week environmentalists, farmers, tribal leaders and public utility officials are anxiously awaiting a federal report about whether the salmon and dams can coexist, or not, on the Snake. The report is expected to be released Friday by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Bonneville Power Administration.

Options range from doing nothing to the dams between Pasco and Lewiston, Idaho, or completely breaching them.

The ultimate decision could affect the price of power statewide and in Snohomish County, where the Public Utility District relies on the dams for carbon-free energy. It could also impact salmon recovery, irrigation, river navigation, flood protection and recreation.

The dams — Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite — are capable of providing about 15% of the power for Snohomish County PUD customers. For now, it’s too early to tell what the exact impact on electricity rates could be, district spokesman Aaron Swaney said.

In 2016, an Oregon judge ordered the Bonneville Power Administration, the nonprofit federal agency that owns the dams, to study the effects the structures have on salmon. The Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation worked with the BPA to create the new report.

The 1,000-mile-long Snake River, the 13th-longest in the United States, flows from western Wyoming to where it meets with the Columbia River near Pasco. It once produced salmon runs in the millions. Those spawning grounds were disrupted when the dams were built, and environmental groups say they must be breached to restore the salmon.

The BPA has pumped $17 billion into fish restoration projects over the past 30 years, according to the PUD. Despite those efforts, thirteen runs of Columbia and Snake river salmon and steelhead remain endangered or threatened.

An elevated fish ladder designed to help migrating fish swim through the Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River near Almota, Washington. (AP Photo/Nicholas K. Geranios)

An elevated fish ladder designed to help migrating fish swim through the Lower Granite Dam on the Snake River near Almota, Washington. (AP Photo/Nicholas K. Geranios)

The dams produce about 5% of the region’s electricity, roughly enough to power Seattle. A 2016 BPA report said a new natural gas plant would be required to replace the lost electricity if the Snake River dams were removed.

The dams provide irrigation water to about 47,000 acres of farmland, and that would cease if the dams are breached. The structures also allow barges between Lewiston and Pasco to access ports along the Pacific coastline.

The report could stop short of calling for the demolition of the dams and instead suggest more water be spilled outside of the turbines. This would reduce their ability to provide power but make passage easier for salmon.

Some environmental groups have said that breaching the dams is the best option for salmon recovery, or perhaps the only way to save them and a shrinking orca population.

Removing the dams would greatly reduce the amount of clean energy the Snohomish PUD is able to buy from BPA.

That could force the utility to pay more for power, in turn raising prices to run your washing machine, hair dryer or seasonal affective disorder lamp.

Ahead of Friday’s announcement, leaders from historically opposing groups — fish proponents and public utility officials — signed a letter saying they will work together in advocating for a mutually beneficial plan for the dams. It’s a significant step, in light of past tensions.

Regardless “of their perspective, people on all sides of this issue want the same outcomes — restored salmon populations; farms that are able to grow and get their crops to market; protection of the interests of tribes and communities; and clean, reliable, and affordable electricity,” said Nancy Hirsh, executive director of the Northwest Energy Coalition, in a prepared statement.

The letter expressed a hope that Friday’s report will serve as a “springboard” for the dams’ future, rather than a hard-line plan.

After the study is released, a public comment period is set to open, with a final recommendation expected in July. The Snohomish PUD is pushing to have one of those meetings in Everett.

Employees at the Snohomish PUD plan on spending all weekend poring over potentially thousands of pages of the draft study, deciphering what it could mean for power customers.

John Haarlow, CEO of the PUD, said his agency is focused on a long-term outcome that ensures both fish recovery and clean, affordable and reliable power.

“These are complex issues that go back generations,” he said, “and I believe the only path to enduring solutions is through this collaboration.”

Julia-Grace Sanders: 425-339-3439; jgsanders@heraldnet.com.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Snohomish County Health Department Director Dennis Worsham on Tuesday, June 11, 2024 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Snohomish County Health Department director tapped as WA health secretary

Dennis Worsham became the first director of the county health department in January 2023. His last day will be July 3.

Julia Zavgorodniy waves at her family after scanning the crowd to find them during Mariner High School’s 2025 commencement on Friday, June 13, 2025, at Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘Dream without limit’: Thousands of Snohomish County seniors graduate

Graduations at the arena conclude this weekend with three Everett high schools on Saturday and Monroe High School on Sunday.

Police Cmdr. Scott King answers questions about the Flock Safety license plate camera system on Thursday, June 5, 2025 in Mountlake Terrace, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mountlake Terrace approves Flock camera system after public pushback

The council approved the $54,000 license plate camera system agreement by a vote of 5-2.

Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Edmonds Mayor Mike Rosen goes through an informational slideshow about the current budget situation in Edmonds during a roundtable event at the Edmonds Waterfront Center on Monday, April 7, 2025 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Edmonds mayor recommends $19M levy lid lift for November

The city’s biennial budget assumed a $6 million levy lid lift. The final levy amount is up to the City Council.

A firefighting helicopter carries a bucket of water from a nearby river to the Bolt Creek Fire on Saturday, Sep. 10, 2022, on U.S. 2 near Index, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
How Snohomish County property owners can prepare for wildfire season

Clean your roofs, gutters and flammable material while completing a 5-foot-buffer around your house.

(City of Everett)
Everett’s possible new stadium has a possible price tag

City staff said a stadium could be built for $82 million, lower than previous estimates. Bonds and private investment would pay for most of it.

Jennifer Humelo, right, hugs Art Cass outside of Full Life Care Snohomish County on Wednesday, May 28, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
‘I’ll lose everything’: Snohomish County’s only adult day health center to close

Full Life Care in Everett, which supports adults with disabilities, will shut its doors July 19 due to state funding challenges.

‘No Kings’ rallies draw thousands to Everett and throughout Snohomish County

Demonstrations were held nationwide to protest what organizers say is overreach by President Donald Trump and his administration.

Marysville is planning a new indoor sports facility, 350 apartments and a sizable hotel east of Ebey Waterfront Park. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
New report shifts outlook of $25M Marysville sports complex

A report found a conceptual 100,000-square-foot sports complex may require public investment to pencil out.

Logo for news use featuring Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Snohomish County Board of Health looking to fill vacancy

The county is accepting applications until the board seat is filled.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.