Officials from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Washington state have reached agreements to study recreation and transportation-related services that may be needed if, in the future, Congress authorizes the severance of the four dams on the lower Snake River. .

The studies are part of USACE’s broader commitments under the December 2023 Resilient Columbia Basin Agreement, which ensured a long-term halt to litigation while supporting the restoration of wild salmon, trout Rainbow and other native fish are healthy and abundant in the Columbia River Basin.

Walla Walla District Commander Lt. Col. Katie Werback digitally signed two separate agreements using the Planning Assistance to States (PAS) authority with the Department of Transportation and the Office of Recreation and Conservation from Washington State.

“We recognize that we have important work to do and we will continue to achieve all authorized Columbia River System Dam Project goals as we implement these agreements,” Werback said. “While these studies are purely exploratory and not tied to any immediate federal decision on dam failure, they are critical to assessing potential impacts and ensuring the Pacific Northwest is fully prepared for a range of scenarios future.”

State and federal officials estimate the recreation study will cost $1.2 million and plan to complete it by 2026. The recreation study will seek to identify the potential loss of recreational opportunities existing recreation associated with drawdown from reservoirs on the lower Snake River as well as necessary needs. investments to account for future recreational opportunities in the case of a dam failure scenario.

“Recreation is an important part of Washington state’s culture and identity,” said Megan Duffy, director of the Office of Recreation and Conservation. “Not only does outdoor recreation improve the mental and physical health of our residents, but more than $26 billion is spent each year on travel and recreational equipment, supporting 264,000 jobs across Washington state. It is important that we consider the potential impact on recreation in a scenario where the lower Snake River dams are breached.

The transportation study will add $750,000 to an existing $4,000,000 study in Washington State and expand the study’s boundaries to Idaho and Oregon. Officials plan to complete it in late 2026. The transportation study will analyze future transportation needs, estimates of the volume of goods to be transported, and evaluate infrastructure changes that would be necessary to abandon river transportation methods.

Werback signed the agreements using PAS authority, which allows USACE to use its comprehensive planning expertise to supplement and support state and tribal efforts and is provided for by Section 22 of the Water Resources Development Act of 1974 (PL 93-251), as amended.

“State Planning Assistance Studies are an important tool in our set of congressional authorities that allow us to provide technical expertise and comprehensive planning assistance to state and tribal planning efforts,” said Tim Fleeger, Columbia River Basin policy and environmental coordinator. “It is important to recognize that these studies do not involve any implementation activities by the Corps of Engineers, but instead bring together experts from the Corps and our partners to provide data that can be critical to informing decision makers.” , he said. “Only Congress can authorize the breaking of these dams. We will use all relevant data to inform our analyses, and we will continue to collaborate with our regional tribes, partners, stakeholders, and the public as we undertake these important studies.

For more information on the PAS program, visit www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Technical-Assistance/Planning-Assistance/.