The Case for Snake River Dredging
The Snake River is an incredible waterway. With 50-60 million tons of cargo moving through the channel each year, no other transportation route offers comparably efficient – or environmentally-sound – cargo transport options into the interior of the United States.
As with many other river systems, accumulated sediment must be removed from time to time to keep the channel at its Congressionally authorized 14’ depth and 250’ width. Without dredging, loaded barges and cruise ships can end up “grounded” on sediment, posing major safety concerns for the operators, passengers and surrounding river users.
The buildup of sediment not only stymies shipping, but it also hurts tourism and recreation. Neglecting basic channel maintenance discourages out-of-area cruise ships from carrying nearly 20,000 passengers and crew members per year to southeastern Washington.
Compared to our nation’s other marine highways, dredging is needed fairly infrequently on the Lower Snake River to preserve a safe, efficient navigation channel. The amount of sediment removed is typically just a fraction of what is dredged in other U.S. river systems. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, more than 400 ports and 25,000 miles of navigation channels are regularly dredged throughout the U.S.
Yet, groups repeatedly sue the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prevent dredging on the Lower Snake.
They claim that dredging harms fish, including salmon, steelhead and lamprey.
The latest court ruling by Judge James Robart of the U.S. District Court’s Western District of Washington in 2016 found no standing for this “generalized assertion.”
Lower Snake River dredging is timed to protect fish species. This work can only take place during a 76-day fish window when migrating salmonids and lamprey are not likely present. In addition, the Corps conducts sediment analysis in the dredged areas to ensure dredging does not pose toxicity to fish. A biological opinion by the National Marine Fisheries Service found dredging is not likely to adversely affect migrating salmonids.
Moreover, dredged materials have been used to improve fish habitat. In 2015, the Corps used the material removed from the Lower Snake River channel to create shallow water resting and rearing habitat for migrating juvenile salmon downstream near Knoxway Canyon.
Of course, there are other environmental advantages to keeping our waterway in working order.
In 2018, 3.8 million tons of cargo moved through the Snake River channel. It would have taken 38,966 rail cars or 149,870 semi-trucks to move those goods without barges.
Barging reduces our carbon footprint – it is nearly 40% more fuel-efficient than freight trains and 270% more fuel-efficient than semi-trucks. Why would we trade our most efficient, cleanest, safest and lowest cost mode of transportation for anything else?
About the Author: Tom Kammerzell is the District 3 Commissioner of the Port of Whitman County.
