Transportation Methods, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, and the Lower Snake River Reservoirs

January 2017
By John Twa, Mechanical Engineer

The four lower Snake River locks and dams were completed in the 1960’s and 1970’s after congressional authorization to provide river navigation to eastern Washington and Lewiston, Idaho. Each of the four, 100 foot high dams created flatwater reservoirs with sufficient depth to allow freight traffic by barge. Traffic peaked in the mid to late 1990’s and has steadily declined since. Navigation maintenance costs have not gone down with traffic, as regular lock repair and river channel dredging is still necessary.

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