dams

The Washington State Department of Transportation is hosting three in-person open houses to share information from a study on how removing dams on the Snake River could affect transportation. The study’s final report is being prepared for the public, partners and lawmakers. The open houses will give attendees a look…

By Michelle HenningsExecutive Director, Washington Association of Wheat Growers Harvest has begun, and at home, I can feel the urgency to move the crop from the field to the bin. It can seem frantic, but I am reminded that this is what we have been waiting for all year. Even…

From seattlered.com The State of Washington is about to spend taxpayer dollars again studying the future of the Lower Snake River dams. Unfortunately, the question it wants answered isn’t the one that matters. Read the rest of the article here.

From the Capital Press The federal court order to increase spill over Columbia and Snake river dams delayed adult salmon passage “significantly” at two dams, according to the Public Power Council. Citing reports from the Columbia River Basin Water Management technical management team, the council says adult salmon at Lower Monumental…

In late February, Michelle Hennings, executive director of the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG), testified in front of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council (NPCC) during a public hearing on the draft 2026 Columbia River Basin Fish and Wildlife program. The NPCC is congressionally mandated to update its program…

Part 3 of 4 – Arlington, OR to Cascade Locks, OR On day three, we travel through the tallest navigation lock in the western hemisphere, sail over the historic site of Celilo Falls, learn about the Long Narrows of the Columbia, and pick up a fourth grain barge while parallel…

Part 2 of 4 – Lyons Ferry, WA to Arlington, OR On day two, we see Lower Monumental Dam, Ice Harbor Dam, and the legendary Wallula Gap on the Columbia River. As the sun goes down, we pass through McNary Dam and enter the Columbia River Gorge to see the…

From the Capital Press U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon has mostly agreed to plaintiffs’ requests to increase spill over dams and lower reservoir levels on the Columbia and Snake rivers, in an injunction issued Feb. 25 in Oregon District Court. Stakeholders say the order will further hamper navigation on…

On Feb. 26, 2026, the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG) expressed disagreement regarding the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon’s decision to grant a preliminary injunction in litigation involving the four lower Snake River dams. Overall, the ruling will increase the risk of harm to infrastructure, listed species,…

The Columbia/Snake River transports millions of tons of cargo every year, but most people have never seen it in action. Ride along with me as I hitch a ride on a tugboat hauling grain from the wheat fields of Eastern Washington to the terminal depots of Portland, Vancouver, and Longview….