New study shows Lower Snake River dams waste vast amounts of water through evaporation.
New research shows that the Lower Snake River dams waste a tremendous amount of water through evaporation. Wasting water in the desert is just one more good reason—among many—to replace the dams’ services and remove the Lower Snake River dams.
The Stockholm Environment Institute’s report, in collaboration with Columbia Riverkeeper, shows that the Lower Snake River dams waste roughly 30,400 acre feet of water every year. This water evaporates off the surface of the four expansive Lower Snake reservoirs in Eastern Washington, and water waste will likely increase with climate change.
Using the WEAP Model and data from the Army Corps of Engineers, the study calculated the amount of water that evaporates from the existing Lower Snake River reservoirs and subtracted the amount of water expected to evaporate from a free-flowing Lower Snake River.
How much water is 30,400 acre feet? The water lost to evaporation because of the Lower Snake River dams each year could meet the residential needs of over 240,000 Washingtonians or grow over 8,000 acres of Washington apples. Especially in the arid Snake River Basin, it’s a staggering waste of our most precious resource.
Unlike some other reservoirs, the Lower Snake River dams don’t store water that can be used later for irrigation, and the free-flowing Lower Snake River would have plenty of water year-round to meet existing water uses, like growing food. Our region would be better off if we replaced the dams’ services and let the Lower Snake River run free.
Ready to help make Snake River dam removal a reality? This evaporation study complements the recent draft Lower Snake River Water Supply Replacement Plan by the Washington Department of Ecology and the US Bureau of Reclamation. Together, they show that farms along the Lower Snake River can have reliable, plentiful water to grow food and other crops even after dam removal. Comment on the newly-released draft plan to replace irrigation equipment to protect farmers and food production if the Lower Snake River dams are removed. This newly-released draft plan is an important, concrete step toward replacing, and removing, the Lower Snake River dams—it needs your support!
Creation and dissemination of this evaporation study was supported by Columbia Riverkeeper, The Water Foundation, and Patagonia.
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