AGENCIES INITIATE LOWER SNAKE RIVER STUDY

The Bureau of Reclamation and the Washington State Department of Ecology have initiated the Lower Snake River Water Supply Replacement Study and will host two virtual public meetings to share information and address questions from interested parties throughout the study area. Ecology, who has been tasked by the state legislature with investigating water replacement, is teaming with Reclamation to oversee the study.

The first meeting will occur on June 25, 2024, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. PDT, and the second will occur on June 27, 2024, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m. PDT. The meetings will begin with a presentation about the study and will reserve time for questions. They may end early, depending on the number of questions asked.

Those interested in participating may click on the link below to access the Teams meeting at the appropriate time.

June 25, 2024 Public Meeting 6 PM

June 27, 2024, Public Meeting 3 PM

For those who cannot participate at the designated times, the meetings will be recorded and uploaded to Reclamation’s web site. A virtual room housing the meeting recordings, meeting materials, and Frequently Asked Questions may be accessed at https://www.usbr.gov/pn/fcrps/lsrws.html. This page will go live shortly prior to the first public meeting.

The study goal is to obtain a detailed understanding of current water supply and irrigation, municipal and industrial uses near the four Lower Snake River dams (Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, Lower Granite) in Washington and Idaho, evaluate impacts to water delivery in the event Congress were to authorize breach of the dams, and evaluate mitigation approaches in the event they were breached.

The contractor team, led by Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., will work closely with Reclamation and Ecology to conduct the study. This study is one of a set of federal studies committed to by the U.S. government as part of the December 14, 2023, mediated agreement on Columbia River system operations.

A draft report is slated for release by the end of 2024.