Survey asks people how they use the Lower Snake River

State and federal officials want to know how you are doing in the Lower Snake River corridor.

The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office and the Army Corps of Engineers have launched an online survey to gather information about recreational use on the river and how that use would be affected if the four Lower Snake dams were removed.

It’s called the “Recreation Demand Survey” and is part of a $1.2 million study between the two agencies, building on the Biden administration’s commitment earlier this year to analyze the possibility of a dam breaching.

Ben Donatelle, a policy specialist with the Recreation and Conservation Office, said the study will not make a recommendation on whether the dams should be removed, but instead aims to catalog existing recreation areas and show what could change if the Lower Snake would flow freely river.

“We really want to hear from people about how they currently use the area and how they would like to use the area in the future,” Donatelle said.

Tribes and salmon advocates have long pushed for the removal of the Lower Snake River’s four dams – Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose and Lower Granite – to restore habitat for salmon and steelhead on their way to spawn in streams like the Clearwater navigate the dams. Grande Ronde and Salmon rivers.

Opponents argue that the dams are an important source of hydroelectric power and that a breach poses a threat to farmers who rely on the water for irrigation and to industries that rely on the river as a shipping channel between Lewiston and the Tri-Cities.

Legal disputes by the Nez Perce Tribe and others over the dams’ impact on the return of wild salmon led to the settlement agreement that the Biden administration signed in February. The agreement, signed by four tribes and the states of Oregon and Washington, halts litigation for up to 10 years. In return, the federal government agreed to invest $1 billion in fish recovery efforts and tribal energy programs.

Federal officials also agreed to study how transportation, irrigation and recreation services could be replaced if Congress approved removing the dams.

The Army Corps of Engineers announced in early November that it was collaborating with Washington state on transportation and recreation studies. For the transportation study, the Army Corps is providing $750,000 to complement an existing $4 million Washington study analyzing what would be needed to transition the region away from river transportation.

Washington Department of Transportation officials are also seeking public feedback through an online survey for the study, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.

The leisure study is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. Donatelle said a team of consultants is currently creating visitation data. It also analyzes what the river itself might look like without dams and what facilities might be needed.

The survey, available on Snakeriverrecreation.com, will help you understand what demand might look like in the future. Among other things, people are asked how they use the river in the zones behind the four dams, how often they go there and what they do there. The website estimates it will take 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

Donatelle said there is no set deadline, but the survey is expected to remain online until late December or early January, depending on the number of responses.