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Contact: Eric Jessup, email: eric_jessup@wsu.edu, phone: (509) 335-4987
There are four dams on the Snake River between Clarkston, ID and Pasco, WA, known collectively as the Lower Snake River Dams (LSRD). They are Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite dams. All four dams are owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. There has been much interest in removal of these dams for the benefit of salmon, steelhead, Pacific lamprey, bull trout, sturgeon and other native fish species. While there have been several studies that address the impacts of dam removal, there is limited understanding of dam removal on the regions’ transportation infrastructure.
Because the transportation impacts of removing the lower Snake River dams were not sufficiently addressed in those prior studies, the Legislature directed WSDOT to conduct an analysis of highway, road and freight rail transportation needs, options and impacts from shifting the movement of freight and goods that currently move by barge through the lower Snake River dams to highways, other roads and rail.
WSDOT is working with Jacobs Engineering to conduct an analysis of highway, road and freight rail transportation needs, options and impacts of shifting the movement of freight and goods that currently move by barge to truck and rail. More information about the WSDOT study: Transportation Impacts of Lower Snake River Dam Removal.
In addition to the WSDOT Study, the Washington State Legislature Joint Transportation Committee is conducting concurrent work to provide avenues for additional stakeholder involvement, technical advisement, and review. This concurrent work is being completed by the Freight Policy Transportation Institute at Washington State University under the direction of Eric Jessup. Washington State University is conducting stakeholder engagement, technical advising, and review of WSDOT effort.
To facilitate this effort, WSU has assembled a River Transportation Working Group who will help to evaluate the output of the WSDOT team and to ensure that businesses, farmers, logistics service providers, and river system user’s input is accurately portrayed. If you are interested in participating in the River Transportation Working Group please email logard@primefocusllc.com.