Dam/Barging Facts Fuel Efficiency - barge versus rail/truck: 1 ton of cargo - 514 miles by barge on 1 gallon of fuel, 202 miles by rail on 1 gallon of fuel and 59 miles by truck on 1 gallon of fuel Transportation Mode Comparisons: 1 barge = 37.5 hopper RR cars or 150 25-ton semi trucks. Economic Value: Columbia-Snake navigation system shippers save $38 million annually over the cost of transporting their cargoes by either rail or truck to/from Portland. In the Lewiston/Clarkston region alone, over 1,580 jobs are influenced directly and indirectly by the existing river system. $35.6 million annually are earned through transportation and recreation on the Snake River. Replace Barges with Truck or Rail? If barge navigation were halted, it would take an additional 120,000 rail cars, or more than 700,000 semi-trucks annually to carry the cargo now being moved by barge on the Columbia-Snake river system.

Salmon. The very word brings up visions of the beautiful endangered fish fighting waterfalls and hazards to swim upstream and spawn, many of them dying along the way as they fight for the survival of their species. This icon of the Pacific Northwest has taken on a new significance as the Endangered Species Act was implemented in the early 1990s on the Snake River. The Port of Whitman County has been actively involved with salmon recovery long before the ESA listing of Chinook salmon in 1992. The Snake River is vital to the Port of Whitman County, our citizens and certainly our businesses that rely upon cost effective barge transportation to get their products to the international market place. The Port has invested heavily in our Ports of Wilma, Almota and Central Ferry as well as our recreation facility at Boyer Park and Marina. These investments on behalf of the citizens of Whitman County are dependent upon the continuance of slack water navigation on the Snake River as authorized by Congress.

Lower Granite Dam was completed in 1975, marking the opening of slack water navigation to the Ports of Wilma, Lewiston and Clarkston. This navigation and recreation system is now the target of the environmental movement, most of whom support the breaching of the 4 Lower Snake River dams in order to restore natural river migration for salmon, thus theoretically increasing their numbers. The earthen portions of the 4 dams would be removed bringing the Snake River back to its pre-inundation levels. This action would effectively destroy the navigation system, irrigation, hydroelectric capacity as well as the many recreational opportunities provided by slack-water that this region enjoys today.

The Port maintains that salmon recovery can be successful without the removal of the 4 Lower Snake River dams. Fish passage enhancement, an improved juvenile fish barging program, reduction of marine mammal and bird predation of salmon smolts and long term planning for the entire Columbia-Snake river system must be thoroughly explored. These dams are a small piece of a large, complex system and their removal will not guarantee the return of healthy salmon runs on the Snake.

We, the Ports, counties, cities and landowners along the Snake River, must look to alternative pathways to enhance habitat for salmon. Each of us must take a pro-active stance with representatives of our local, Sate and Federal government to ensure that our economic futures are preserved while our environmental responsibilities are met. One of the Port's main goals for our 1999 Mission to Washington is to keep the salmon recovery and dam removal issues at the forefront, letting our legislators know directly how this action will affect our region and our livelihoods. In recent days, Washington State Governor, Gary Locke, has stepped forward and taken a position against breaching the dams. This is excellent news and our continued efforts with our elected officials and policy makers will help ensure the survival of the salmon as well as the continued economic stability of our region. We can have fish, dams and people too.