Hear from Port of Lewiston Commissioner Joe Anderson

Port of Lewiston Commissioner Joseph Anderson has a long, multigenerational connection to the Columbia Snake River System. “Family farming is deeply ingrained in our community—my father, my daughter and I have all hauled wheat that shipped down the Snake River.”


With the introduction of barging in Lewiston, grain shipments increased in speed, capacity, and reliability and allowed the local economy to flourish in new ways.



"The construction of Lower Granite Dam opened up opportunities that just weren't possible before."


Thanks to the river system, farmers could now load a barge with grain in Lewiston and have it transferred for export from Portland in as little as two days. “Barging is the most direct, affordable and reliable route to our trading partners, and that gives us a competitive advantage on the global market.”


Barging on the Snake River also carries the safe and efficient import of goods closer to their destination before being transferred to truck or rail. “Right now, we have a shipment of large wind turbine blades coming through Lewiston. Without the river system, those long blades would be taking up space on oversized truck shipments through our region’s highways.”


"Barging is the most direct, affordable and reliable route to our trading partners, and that gives us a competitive advantage on the global market."


In addition to efficient navigation and shipping, Commissioner Anderson also wants people to understand that the river system “is an engineering marvel with examples of the best fish passage in the world.”


Commissioner Anderson has had opportunities to tour the dams with engineers and learn about the adaptive management practices that have improved migratory fish numbers like salmon over time. He notes that bodies of research are pointing to ocean conditions as the primary factors affecting fish numbers today. “Those studies find that salmon numbers have been struggling in rivers up and down the west coast – even rivers without dams.” 


Commissioner Anderson wishes others to understand the importance of preserving the benefits of the Columbia Snake River System for future generations of farmers in Lewiston and throughout the Columbia and Snake River basins. 



Share your river value

We all benefit from the federal system of dams and locks on the Columbia Snake River System. Whether you appreciate clean and reliable electricity, irrigation for farms, or affordable and fuel-efficient shipping, the Columbia Snake River System connects the Pacific Northwest to the world and keeps our region strong and balanced.


We’re looking for personal stories to share from our community about how the River System supports your life. If you’re a resident, worker or business owner who appreciates the public goods created and supported by the Columbia Snake River system, we want to share your story!


Share Your Story

Growing salmon counts demonstrate healthy rivers and healthy economies

By Mary Wiley • December 11, 2024
The numbers for 2024 are in, and salmon are having an amazing year as they return from the ocean to spawn in the headwaters of the Columbia and Snake rivers. Not everyone knows that the fish passage programs and facilities on the federally operated locks and dams of the Columbia Snake River System are some of the most effective in the world. Salmon famously travel hundreds of miles upriver to spawn, and that requires them to bypass the dams that power and irrigate our communities, and the locks that efficiently move our goods between local and global markets. Here’s a little report on what our communities do to steward healthy rivers and healthy economies.

Oktoberfest: brought to you in part by the Columbia Snake River System

By Mary Wiley • October 16, 2024
The fall harvest season gives us reason to celebrate in the Pacific Northwest, as farmers gather hops and wheat—key ingredients for beer—to support the booming brewing industry across the U.S. and abroad. At the heart of this success is the irrigation and transportation supplied by the federal locks and dams of the Columbia Snake River System. This vital infrastructure allows the Northwest to sustain its $3.5 billion beer industry, and the country’s $409 billion beer market.

Lessons from the 1992 Snake River drawdown

By Mary Wiley • August 19, 2024
The system of navigation locks and hydroelectric dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers has been the lifeblood of our region for over 80 years. Supporting agriculture, enabling efficient transportation, and providing carbon-free energy, the Columbia-Snake River System is indispensable to millions of people. But what if that infrastructure was no longer there? More than three decades ago, we caught a glimpse of that possibility during a test drawdown of the Snake River.

Our sustainable powerhouse: hydropower in the Northwest

By Mary Wiley • June 10, 2024
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The consequences of removing the lower Snake River Dams

By Mary Wiley • May 6, 2024
An initiative signed by the Biden administration is exploring a dangerous potential to remove the four lower Snake River Dams, which would simultaneously cripple our region’s economy and our fight against climate change. While the initiative argues dam removal could lead to the recovery of several salmon species, this action would have significant consequences, including serious impacts to irrigation, power supply, and transportation. A recent article in the Capital Press by Matthew Weaver examined these consequences in detail, highlighting the potential environmental and economic impacts of dam removal.

The low-cost, high-capacity system: a four-decade perspective on inland freight transportation

By Colleen Newell • November 16, 2023
Rob Rich is no stranger to the Columbia Snake River System. Having worked in transportation and commerce on the Columbia and Snake rivers for over four decades, he understands well the importance of the federal system of locks and dams that make navigation possible. Rich currently serves as the Vice President of Marine Services for Shaver Transportation Company, an inland freight transportation company based in Portland, Oregon. With a fleet of 16 tugs and 22 barges, Shaver operates many of the tugboats and barges that transport goods on the Columbia Snake River System. Rich got his start working with water machinery and transportation at Lake Coeur d’Alene in Northern Idaho, where he worked at a marina that was operated by a local tug company. Then in 1979 Rich headed to Portland to begin his career in the tug and barge industry. At that time, the region was experiencing significant expansion in inland freight transportation. “So many types of cargo were starting to move on the system because of the expansion into Idaho thanks to the Snake River Dams,” said Rich.

American Cruise Lines supports tourism, economic vitality along Columbia Snake River System

By Colleen Newell • September 28, 2023
American Cruise Lines supports tourism, economic vitality along the Columbia Snake River System

Hear from Columbia Basin farmer Blaine Meek

By Sidney Counts • August 25, 2023
The Columbia Basin boasts some of the nation’s most productive farmland, owed to its fertile soil, favorable climate, and abundant water from the Snake and Columbia rivers. This unique combination makes The Columbia Basin’s irrigated farmland up-to twice as productive as other regions in the country.

Current research is inconclusive regarding possible delayed mortality effects of Snake River dams

By Seth Baker • July 13, 2023
Research shows existing science fails to establish the magnitude and mechanism of delayed mortality hypothesis

Share Your River Value

By Mary Wiley • March 16, 2023
We all benefit from the federal system of dams and locks on the Columbia Snake River System.
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