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Date of Award

Spring 2025

Document Type

Masters Thesis

Department or Program Affiliation

Environmental Studies

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Environmental Studies

First Advisor

Wang, Grace A.

Second Advisor

Hollenhorst, Steven J.

Third Advisor

Albertson, Zander

Abstract

Previous literature has explored the efficiency, ecological concerns, and unlikely stakeholder alliances surrounding the Lower Snake River Dams (LSRDs) and their implications for the potential removal of the dams. However, little scholarly research has directly explored the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ management of the LSRDs. Through my research, I analyzed how the Corps’ positions on the LSRDs have evolved over the decades by analyzing the eight original and updated LSRDs Master Plans, as well as the Columbia River System Operations’ Environmental Impact Statement. Though the original and updated LSRDs Master Plans provide an excellent snapshot of the Corps’ positionality change regarding land management over the decades, there remains less information in the eight Master Plans about dam operations and removal. As cited on every updated LSRDs report, “Master Plans are about the land – they do not address dam operations (e.g., spill, fish passage, or dam breaching), flood risk management (e.g., levees), or navigation,” thus making the EIS a crucial document in understanding the Corps’ in-stream management priorities (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 2020). Ultimately, my research included both a document and thematic analysis of these nine Corps-affiliated documents to explore the historical management strategies and future ecological considerations for the LSRDs, particularly regarding dam removal on the Snake River.

Type

Text

Keywords

Lower Snake River Dams, US Army Corps of Engineers, Columbia River System Operations, Snake River, dam removal, dam breaching, management factors, resource considerations, Environmental Impact Statement, Master Plan

Publisher

Western Washington University

OCLC Number

1523967292

Subjects – Names (LCNAF)

United States. Army. Corps of Engineers--Planning

Subject – LCSH

Dams--Snake River (Wyo.-Wash.)--Management; Dam retirement--Snake River (Wyo.-Wash.); Dam failures--Snake River (Wyo.-Wash.); Flood control--Snake River (Wyo.-Wash.); Fish habitat improvement--Snake River (Wyo.-Wash.); Water resources development--Columbia River Watershed; Environmental impact statements--Columbia River Watershed

Geographic Coverage

Columbia River Watershed; Snake River (Wyo.-Wash.)

Format

application/pdf

Genre/Form

masters theses

Language

English

Rights

Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.

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