Breeching_the_Dams

Destry Olson Mrs. Smith English IV Honors 11 March26 January 2010 Breeching the Dams: Removing a Constant Clean Energy Source With the always-pending questions of what our energy sources will be in the future, the rising prices of energy nationally and globally, and the shortfalls of the current power grid today, removing any sources that contribute to the availability and production of power would seem rather foolish and could end up quite costly. Dams produce twenty percent of the power generated across America, and in certain areas, dams are the difference between people having power and living in a world without electricity (Hamilton). The dams on the lower Snake River contribute a considerable amount of power to communities like Lewiston and Clarkston. Breeching the series of four dams on the lower Snake River corridor will do more harm to the environment and the economy than it would benefit either. If the dams on the Lower Snake River were breeched, or removed, the loss of power to the local power grid would be the most problematic outcome. The four dams are the Lower Granite, the Little Goose, the Lower Monumental, and the Ice Harbor dams. These dams account for five percent of the power that is generated in the region. These dams have been paid for by Idaho taxpayers, have, over time, reduced the cost of power, and are very consistent, reliable and stable sources of energy. The Army Corps of Engineers estimates that the cost of removing the dams, and doing so in a timely manner, can exceed 300 million dollars per year (Hamilton 2). Most of this cost is due to the replacement of the power that would be lost with new natural gas-powered turbines. These costs would burden northwest energy users, and the large costs generated by the breeching the dams would increase each household’s energy costs by several dollars per month. This may seem a minor concern, but it could put a significant strain on some people’s financial well-being—especially during the current economic crisis. The ideas that have been proposed for alternative energy sources are wind turbines, solar panels, and, as a last resort, nuclear power. There are, however, problems with each of these suggestions. Studies show that there is not a high enough volume of wind to generate the power lost by the removal of the dams. Also, the percentage of sun energy in a calendar year is not high enough to warrant the expense of the suggested solar panels that typically yield little profit after operation costs when there is constant sunshine (Army). Nuclear power, although considered a green energy source, only has an anticipated lifespan of 100 more years at the current rate of consumption. Furthermore, with the risks associated with the generation of nuclear power, putting a power generation plant anywhere near the Snake River would invite the risk of pollution if a meltdown or spill occurred. Nuclear energy must advance before any options of building a power generating plant in the State of Idaho are explored. These alternative energy options, although viable elsewhere, are not well suited for this region of Idaho. Aside from the power loss, a large disruption would occur in the water supply if the four dams were breeched. Each of the reservoirs house at least one pumping station that supplies water for Potlatch Corporation, a backup water system for the city of Lewiston and the surrounding area. Also, irrigation pumps supply water for numerous golf courses and wildlife sanctuaries along the river. Thirteen farms are irrigated by a series of pumps in the reservoir that is retained behind the Ice Harbor Dam. The estimates made by the Army Corps of Engineers show that this water irrigates thirty-five thousand acres of vineyards, orchards, and ordinary crops. Not all of the pumps would need to be entirely removed, but they would need to be relocated to where the river water would be flowing. One option for moving the pumps could cost as much as 290 million dollars, which equates to a loss of 8,300 dollars per acre. This may seem feasible, but the idea has also been suggested that the government purchase these farms for roughly 143 million dollars. If these pumps were removed, the land, if it is to remain agricultural, would have to be irrigated by deep wells that could cause a new set of problems. One of these problems is the out of pocket expense incurred by the farmer that has to pay to have a well drilled so that he can continue farming his land. Drilling wells for irrigation purposes requires an especially deep well in order to supply the farmer with enough water to successfully irrigate his crops all year. Another risk is whether these deep wells will pull water from other higher aquifers and deplete those higher aquifers, drying up wells in place for many years. Having those well drilled again would be quite a costly undertaking. Many commodities are shipped up the river by barge and also many products are shipped out such as wood chips and paper products. The dams allow cargo bearing vessels and barges to proceed upriver into the reservoirs that are retained behind the dams. Without the dams, this would not be possible. The cost that would burden the transportation system has been estimated and starts at 30 million dollars per year. Therefore, removal of the dams would severely hinder the shipping and transportation that occurs on the lower Snake River corridor. Breeching the dams would cause both shortages and surpluses of essential commodities. The barges that carry fuel into Lewiston will no longer be able to transport the desperately needed fuel to the towns and farms that consume it. This could also cause a surplus of the grain products grown on the Palouse plains if one of the most economically feasible way to transport the grain is removed. Many wonder what impact breeching the dams will have on the lower Snake River corridor, especially in regard to recreation. One rather large question is whether the suggested action would really help the fish or if it would have more negative effects on the species of andronomous fish that populate the river in large runs each year. There is no effective way to capture all of the pollutants that would enter the water if the dams were removed. The marjoritymajority of these pollutants would be dust and concrete particulate that would contaminate the river, harming the overall ecological health of the area. Another problem caused by the removal of the dams would result from the silt that has built up behind the dams. It would inevitably be washed downriver causing a dramatic fall in the quality of the water, making it very difficult to effectively remove the oxygen from the water that is crucial to fish survival. Removing the dams would also interfere with the Idaho Fish and Game’s ability to closely monitor and evaluate the health of the fish populations as they travel up the river using “fish ladders” to pass the dams. These “fish ladders” were specially designed to allow fish to bypass the dams without any issues. Many disagree with the idea that these “fish ladders” are easy for the fish to negotiate, but with record numbers of fish running up the Snake River in recent years, this concern loses legitimacy. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game and Idaho Power manage and operate the dams, working together year-round to make the runs as easy as possible for the fish, especially in the spring months where a minimum of 35,000 cubic feet of water per second is required to pass through the dams for a set amount of time to “flush” the steelhead smolts down the river. The intention is to get the largest number of fish possible into the ocean where they can fully develop to make their runs up the river in subsequent years (Idaho). Breeching the dams would provide much more of a financial burden then it would actually benefit the fish. The ripple effect caused by the removal of the dams would leave many areas along Idaho’s Snake River unsightly. With the current economic crisis, it does not seem reasonable to remove working sources of energy to have them replaced at a very high expense on not only the government but also citizens of Idaho. Breeching the series of four dams on the lower Snake River corridor will do more harm to the environment and the economy than it would benefit either.