Trump Cancels Biden-Era Snake River Dam Agreement
On June 12, President Donald Trump revoked an agreement by the Biden administration that opened a pathway to demolishing four dams on the Lower Snake River in the Pacific Northwest. The Columbia/Snake River System is the main wheat export pathway on the West Coast, and growers there have long opposed plans to take down any of the system’s 24 dams.
Native American tribes, environmentalists and some politicians from both parties have championed breaching four dams as a way to restore salmon runs. Salmon populations face a variety of threats, but there is disagreement over the extent to which dams are responsible. Only Congress can authorize dam removal, but the Biden agreement cleared the way for that.
The White House issued a presidential memorandum revoking an executive action issued by the Biden administration titled “Restoring Healthy and Abundant Salmon, Steelhead and Other Native Fish Populations in the Columbia River Basin.” It said the previous agreement “placed concerns about climate change above the nation’s interests in reliable energy resources.” It directs the secretary of energy, the secretary of the interior, the secretary of commerce and the assistant secretary of the Army for civil works to withdraw from the December 14, 2023, memorandum of understanding (MOU) filed in connection with litigation over four dams in the lower Columbia/Snake River System.
The Biden administration’s agreement with environmental groups and four tribes offered guaranteed salmon-fishing rights, paused litigation over the dams, pledged $1 billion to develop energy sources to replace the hydropower the dams provide and laid out a pathway for dam removal at a later date if Congress authorized it.
That outcome now seems unlikely, since the Trump administration favors energy development over policies it says penalized energy and economic growth.
“Dam breaching would have resulted in reduced water supply to farmers, eliminated several shipping channels, had devastating impacts to agriculture, increased energy costs and eliminated recreational opportunities throughout the region,” the White House said.
The Inland Ports and Navigation Group called the decision “a significant step towards ensuring the continued prosperity of the Pacific Northwest.”
“Dams and salmon can co-exist,” said IPNG Co-Chair Patrick Harbison of the Port of Kalama, Wash. “In fact, salmon runs have actually increased since the construction of the dams due to state-of-the-art bypass systems and fish ladders that were installed at each of the dams on the system.”
Pacific Northwest Waterways Association Executive Director Neil Maunu said, “The divisive issue of dam breaching has prevented the type of partnerships necessary to work together on productive strategies and actions to improve salmon populations for the benefit of all Pacific Northwest residents. … We can have salmon and a robust economy at the same time.”
“We appreciate the efforts of the Trump administration to ensure that the dams stay intact while protecting the integrity of the river system and salmon populations. Washington’s wheat industry relies on the continued operation of dams along the Columbia-Snake River system,” said Michelle Hennings, executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers.
The National Grain and Feed Association also commended Trump’s announcement. CEO Mike Seyfert said, “One barge tow moves the equivalent of 140 rail cars or 538 trucks—infrastructure that cannot be easily replaced. Breaching the dams would have caused a ripple effect throughout the U.S. agricultural value chain, and a significantly negative impact on U.S. exports and the rural economy.
“In addition to enabling navigation for more than 10 percent of U.S. wheat exports, the dams provide affordable, renewable electricity and support irrigation for farmers on thousands of acres of productive farmland,” Seyfert added.
Environmental groups vowed to resume lawsuits that the Biden policy halted. An attorney of Earthjustice said, “This administration may be giving up on our salmon, but we will keep fighting to prevent extinction and realize win-win solutions for the region.”
