WAWG
The Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG), in partnership with the Washington State Potato Commission, The McGregor Company, and Northwest RiverPartners, is hosting a tour for more than a dozen U.S. congressional staffers from Washington, D.C., as well as the region’s district offices, on Tuesday, Aug. 20.
The objective of the tour is to have the federal staffers see for themselves the dams on the lower Snake River, understand how they fit into the landscape, and how vital they are to the region’s economy. Additional guests from around the region and country that rely on barge transportation of their commodities, as well as a representative from the Upper Mississippi Waterways Association, will also be joining the tour.
“Seeing the dams on the lower Snake River, walking through a powerhouse, and visiting a state-of-the-art fish passage facility is far different than reading about it in a report. Staffers will be able to ask questions and hear directly from the people who make their living because of the opportunities the dams provide,” said WAWG Executive Director Michelle Hennings. “Besides the clean energy the dams produce, many farmers rely on barge transportation to ship goods to market. Not only is the Columbia-Snake River System critical for Washington state, but farmers across the country rely on its transportation benefits as well.”
In fact, 10% of the wheat that is exported from the U.S. passes through the four locks and dams along the lower Snake River.
The tour includes a boat ride through Lower Granite Dam lock and a tour of the facility, a tour of the Port of Lewiston, and a panel of Marine Highway 84 users sharing their perspective on the importance of the dams for the region as well as the rest of the country.