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Recently, some organizations have advocated for the removal of four federal dams on the lower Snake River to promote recovery of the Southern Resident
killer whales. NOAA Fisheries assessed the operation of the four lower Snake River dams and their effects on listed salmon and steelhead in our Biological Opinion issued in 2008. In 2014, our supplemental Biological Opinion re-examined the issues, including consequences for Southern Resident killer whales.
Neither opinion, nor the recovery plans NOAA Fisheries has developed for individual salmon species and stocks, concluded that breaching the dams
is necessary for recovery of Snake River salmon or Southern Resident killer whales. The biological opinions concluded that hatchery production of salmon and steelhead in the Columbia and Snake systems more than offsets any losses of salmon from the killer whale prey base caused by the dams.
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 The Snake River is the principal tributary to the Columbia River, draining approximately 107,000 square miles in Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, Utah and Nevada. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the federal government built four large dams on the Snake River: Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Walla Walla District owns and operates the four lower Snake River dams, all of which are multiple-use facilities that provide navigation, hydropower, recreation, and fish and wildlife conservation benefits.
Because of their locations, size and ability to help meet peak power loads, these four dams do much more than generate energy--they are key to keeping the system reliable and helping to meet its multiple uses — including supporting wind energy. The Snake River dams lie east of the other federal generators, so they provide a significant technical contribution to transmission grid reliability.
The Lower Snake River system of locks and dams deliver a significant economic benefit to the nation. Barging on the inland Columbia Snake River System moves, on average, approximately 10 million tons of cargo valued at over $3 billion each year. Forty percent of the Nation’s wheat transits through this system.
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As part of the construction of four dams on the lower Snake River between the 1950s and 1980s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) built adult fish ladders to allow passage of upstream-migrating adult salmon and steelhead (salmonids) on their way to their natal spawning areas. Since construction, the Corps has made both facility and operational improvements to assist adult salmonid migration as needed.
Historically, the Snake River is known to have experienced high summer water temperatures in years prior to construction of dams. In summer 2013, elevated water temperatures began to occur in Columbia-Snake basin river reaches with and without dams due to unusually hot weather dominating the basin. At Lower Granite Lock and Dam’s adult fish ladder, longer-duration elevated water temperatures began to form a “thermal barrier” to upstream migrating salmon and steelhead, slowing and/or stopping adult fish migration upstream.
In response, the Corps developed both an interim solution to the thermal barrier in 2014-2015, plus a permanent solution, which was installed in early 2016.
2015 was the hottest year on record, and fish perished throughout the West in rivers with and without dams due to elevated water temperatures. A total of 510,705 sockeye that originated in numerous watersheds passed Bonneville Dam on the lower Columbia River. Snake River-born sockeye comprised about 4,069 of the more-than-510,000 sockeye run, or less than one percent of the total run, as confirmed by Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT) tag analysis.
By the time the survivors of those initial 4,069 Snake River sockeye reached Ice Harbor Dam, the first dam encountered on the lower Snake River, 74.1 percent had perished in the lower Columbia River, and their numbers were reduced to 1,052 Snake River sockeye to migrate up the Snake River. Survivors of those 1,052 Snake River sockeye reaching Lower Granite Dam totaled 440, or 41.8 percent of the Snake River sockeye first counted at Ice Harbor Dam. The Corps keeps the tailwater (water just below the dam) at Lower Granite Lock and Dam at 68 degrees Fahrenheit or cooler to benefit fish passage of Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed salmonids during summer months. The Corps seasonally releases cool water from Dworshak Dam Reservoir on the North Fork of the Clearwater River. Importantly, Dworshak’s cool water “stratifies” deeper in Lower Granite reservoir, the first reservoir it reaches in the lower Snake River. This deeper, cooler water subsequently becomes mixed with warmer water below Lower Granite Dam as it flows downstream.
This process of releasing cool Dworshak water to benefit fish passage in the warmer water of the Snake River is referred to as “flow augmentation.” The Corps implements this program annually, beginning in early summer when water temperatures increase and ending in early fall when water temperatures begin to cool naturally. The surface water from the forebay (water just upstream of the dam) at Lower Granite provides flow for operation of both the fish ladder and the adult fish trap built into the fish ladder. The fish trap is used to safely and efficiently collect selected adult fish for research or transportation to hatcheries.
In 2013, 2014 and 2015, when the reservoir surface water warmed significantly for a prolonged time period, a warm-water thermal blockage prevented adult fish trap operation and inhibited adult fish from entering the fish ladder.
Many salmon that had migrated upstream through Little Goose Lock and Dam, the next dam downstream, never successfully passed Lower Granite. This raised awareness throughout the regional fisheries management community of the need to find a solution for this issue. The Corps had previously undertaken a study to determine alternatives to resolve elevated fish ladder temperatures at Lower Granite, but hadn’t received funding to pursue a solution. Recent thermal barriers to adult fish migration led to funding for construction of two permanent “intake chimneys” at Lower Granite to cool the adult fish ladder, plus the adult fish trap built into the fish ladder.
The permanent intake chimneys are large vertical structures bolted to the upstream face of the dam.
There are two chimneys, one on either side of the upstream end of the fish ladder where adult fish normally continue their upstream migration into the forebay in the reservoir. They both draw water from about 66 to 70 feet deep, depending on forebay elevation.
1. Supplemental water intake chimney - One intake chimney covers the pipe entrance that provides supplemental water to the fish ladder at ‘Diffuser 14’ starting about 150 feet downstream from the top of the ladder. It also routes water to the adult fish trap.
2. Pump intake extension chimney - A second chimney was constructed to extend an existing pump intake. This pump intake provides water to the upstream end of the fish ladder by spraying cooler water in a circular pattern to cool both the immediate forebay area and the fish ladder itself.
The two intake chimneys provide a permanent way to pull cooler water from deep in the reservoir into both the Diffuser 14 pipe and the pump intake. As a result, beginning in 2016, cooler water from approximately 70 feet deep in the dam forebay will now supply both the fish ladder and the adult trap during hot summer months.
Previously, in 2014 and 2015, prior to installation of the two permanent intake chimneys completed in early 2016, the Corps rented pumps temporarily during the summer months to bring cooler water up from deep in the reservoir to benefit operation of both the fish ladder and the adult trap.
The Corps also modified Lower Granite powerhouse and spillway operations to enhance attraction of adult fish to the ladder. Powerhouse operational changes included changing which turbine units were operated. Spillway operational changes included closure of the spillway weir. These manipulations created a cooler water flow profile downstream of Lower Granite to best attract adult salmonids to the fish ladder entrance. This temporary 2014-2015 solution was only partially successful in eliminating the thermal barrier issue. Availability of funding allowed construction of the new permanent solution completed in 2016.
During 2016, monitoring of the completed permanent improvements will document the system’s effectiveness. Monitoring efforts will include use of both tagged fish and temperature sensors. The tagged fish will be monitored to confirm this improvement works as designed to help adult salmon and steelhead continue their migration upstream more expediently through the fish ladder into the reservoir above the dam.
 A pump extension intake chimney provides water to the upstream end of the adult fish ladder. The semi-circular pipe sprays water to cool the fish ladder and adjacent forebay area. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo.
 Circular cool water spray at upstream end of Lower Granite Dam adult fish ladder. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo.
 A supplemental water intake chimney provides supplemental water to “Diffuser 14” starting about 150 feet down from the top of the fish ladder, plus water to the adult fish trap. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers photo.
Current Fish Passage at the Lower Snake River Projects
The four lower Snake River dams were designed with features to aid the migration of both juvenile and adult fish. In the last 25 years, the Corps has consistently investigated and adopted new technologies for maximizing the survival of juvenile and adult fish.
Juvenile fish survival past the dams has increased through extensive dam modifications, such as surface passage, juvenile bypass systems, and more effective and efficient spill operations. Through their turbine improvement program, the Corps of Engineers has made improvements to turbine design and modified operations to improve fish survival through the turbines.
For adult fish returning from the Pacific Ocean to spawn, fish ladders and devices to attract fish to the entrances of the ladders are the primary aid to their passing the dams. Fish ladders have been in place since the dams were built in the 1960s and early 1970s. Improvements to these ladders have been made at all four dams.
Overall, these improvements are making a positive impact on salmon and steelhead returns.
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Walla Walla District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Public Affairs Office – POC: Bruce Henrickson, 509-527-7020, bruce.henrickson@usace.army.mil
Sept. 15, 2015
Op-Ed guest column for Tri-City Herald
Lower Snake River Dams provide outstanding value to the Nation
By Lt. Col. Timothy Vail
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
As the District Engineer responsible for operating the four federal dams on the lower Snake River, I’d like to bring some clarity to a discussion that, thus far, is long on hyperbole but lacks balance.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers operates the four lower Snake River dams, and the best available science and economic analyses clearly show the Snake River dams provide outstanding value to the Nation. Snake River dams deliver clean, renewable hydropower, an efficient marine transportation corridor, and valuable recreation opportunities. They provide these benefits at a very reasonable cost while successfully coexisting with fish and wildlife.
Reliable, Renewable, Flexible and Affordable Power
Snake River dams are able to meet peak power loads using turbines that can be adjusted in seconds. The flexibility of hydropower dams makes it possible to integrate highly-variable wind energy into the power grid. When the wind speed changes, some power source has to be immediately ready to add or reduce power to keep the grid stable; hydropower provides that capability. Coal and nuclear power plants require hours for their power output to be adjusted. If you like wind power, you must acknowledge flexible hydropower is a great partner for wind.
The energy produced by the lower Snake River Dams is also relatively inexpensive. The public spends about $62 million per year to operate these dams. For the past six years the annual return on this investment was over $200 million of clean electricity. These dams provide enough energy to power 676,000 homes a year while avoiding the 7,317 kilotons of carbon dioxide emissions a coal plant would produce.
Efficient, Reliable and Environmentally Responsible Transportation
About 3.5 million tons of cargo valued at $1.5 billion passes through Snake River navigation locks each year. Marine transportation is the most efficient means to move bulk cargo, reducing cost and minimizing greenhouse gas emissions.
Recreation
The lakes created by these dams provide thousands of acres of water and lakeside recreation for 2.8 million visitors each year.
Environmental Sustainability
The lower Snake River dams are equipped with the most advanced fish passage systems in the world. Last year brought some of the highest Fall Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon returns to the Lower Snake River since Snake River dam construction began in 1962. On the lower Snake River, Corps scientists and engineers team with our many partners to prove dams and fish can co-exist.
The lower Snake River dams provide outstanding value to the Nation. The Corps of Engineers is committed to ensuring these important national resources are well maintained to serve future generations in an environmentally responsible manner.
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Lt. Col. Timothy Vail is Commander of the Walla Walla District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
Snake River Dams provide outstanding value to the Nation
Statement by Lt.Col. Tim Vail
Commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Walla Walla District
WALLA WALLA Washington – We’ve heard a lot of discussion about the Corps’ four dams on the lower Snake River. I’d like to take a few minutes and tell you why they provide outstanding value to the Nation.
The four lower Snake River dams provide a great return on investment. These dams cost $62 million per year to operate, an investment that generates more than $200 million per year of clean, renewable electricity, enough to power 675,000 residences. This investment also provides a marine transportation corridor that helps move 3.5 million tons of cargo, worth $1.5 billion a year, to regional markets, which improves the region's economic competitiveness. And this investment provides recreation facilities that host 2.8 million visitors per year. These four dams also benefit the environment by allowing us to avoid the 7,300 kilotons of carbon dioxide pollution that a coal-fired power plant would emit to generate the same amount of electrical power.
Snake River dams also are able to meet peak power loads using turbines that can be adjusted in seconds. The flexibility of hydropower dams makes it possible to integrate highly-variable wind energy into the power grid. When the wind speed changes, some power source has to be immediately ready to add or reduce power to keep the grid stable; hydropower provides that capability. Coal and nuclear power plants require hours for their power output to be adjusted.
As for our fish recovery efforts, the lower Snake River dams are equipped with the most advanced fish passage systems in the world and our fish program is one of the largest fish conservation efforts in the Nation. Fish passage systems like spillway weirs are in place on all our Snake River dams. Survival rates for juvenile fish through spillway weirs range from 95-100%. The investments in fish recovery are paying dividends. Last year brought some of the highest Fall Chinook, Coho and Sockeye salmon returns to the Lower Snake River since Snake River dam construction began in 1962. Corps scientists and engineers team with our many partners to prove dams and fish can co-exist.
This year hot weather and drought conditions presented challenges to fish passage and survival. However, working with numerous regional partners to maximize fish survival we still observed the 3rd highest fall Chinook salmon returns over Lower Granite Dam and the 10th highest Snake River Sockeye salmon return since the dam was constructed. Conditions were unfavorable throughout the Pacific Northwest, but in the Lower Snake River fish managers were able to improve conditions by modifying spill patterns and by releasing cool water from Dworshak Reservoir to moderate temperatures affecting fish in the lower Snake River.
As we face future challenges with optimizing fish recovery, ensuring the efficient flow of goods through the Snake River navigation channel and providing low cost energy, I am confident that, with the support of the American people, we will continue to ensure the Snake River dams provide outstanding value to the Nation.
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U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS – WALLA WALLA DISTRICT
509-527-7020 cenww-pa@usace.army.mil www.nww.usace.army.mil
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