OLYMPIA, Wash.-The Washington Department of Transportation is now studying how the proposed removal of dams on the Snake River could impact transportation.
WSDOT is holding an online open house about the study to provide information about the timeline, initial findings and next steps of the study that will be accessible from Nov. 15 through Dec. 6.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bonneville Power Administration and NOAA have all studied the benefits and drawbacks of proposed dam removals, including the benefits to native fish species.
According to the WSDOT, the impact dam removal would have on transportation, including its effects on highways, roads and rail transport, has not been sufficiently explored in earlier studies.
The Washington State Legislature has now directed WSDOT to study the impacts of dam removal on transportation and provided funding for the study through its 2023-2025 supplemental budget.
The WSDOT’s study on how the transportation of goods by barge down the Snake and Columbia Rivers to ports on the coast for export to other markets would be affected by removal of the dams will be conducted in four-phases.
WSDOT Four-Phase dam removal study.
Phase 1: April 2024-Dec. 2024. WSDOT will analyze barge and goods movement, as well as train and truck movement to develop a model on how barge traffic will shift to other modes of transportation.Phase 2: Impacts and Safety. Winter 2025. Estimation of geological, geographical, rail, road and utility impacts of dam removal.Phase 3: Spring 2025. Solutions and Competitive Impacts. Identify potential mitigation options for impacts.Phase 4: Development of the draft and final report.
