Lawmakers challenge dam report conclusion

A draft of the “Lower Snake River Dams Benefit Replacement Report,” requested by Washington’s U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Jay Inslee last fall, recently was released to the public.

While intended to make the case for breaching the four dams between Clarkston and the Tri-Cities, the report ironically makes a good case for keeping the dams.

The report estimates it will cost between $10-$27 billion to replace the benefits provided by the four dams. Knowing how government projects usually go over budget, we expect the total cost to replace the dams’ many benefits would exceed that range.

The s...