Firm Commitment to Dams and Infrastructure

Every now and then the anti-dam activists make a bit of a ruckus, demanding the removal of dams on our nation's water ways. This usually draws concern from those in the ag industry — especially those who rely on the rivers as transportation for their product.

Pacific Northwest Waterways Association Executive Director Kristin Meira says that dams — especially on the Snake and the Columbia Rivers — are not going away.

Meira: "It always surprises us when folks target the Snake River dams for potential removal. These are some of the newest dams in the Pacific Northwest. They have state-of-the art fish passage. We're seeing 97 percent on average as far as juveniles that are surviving past each project. You can't do much better than that. We're all so proud of what our federal agencies and other folks are doing here for our fish in the Northwest. Plus we know the role these projects play for clean renewable hydro power and for our farmers. Our members of Congress and this administration recognize all of that. They are actively planning for investments for the next 40 and 50 years of these projects. We are excited that they are here today, providing value today. Everyone is making plans for them to do so long into the future."