Newhouse to help lead field hearing on Lower Snake River Dams

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Dan Newhouse, R-Washington, will help lead a field hearing in Richland for members of the House Natural Resources Committee on the importance of Eastern Washington’s Lower Snake River dams, according to an announcement from Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, who will join Newhouse at the hearing.

The field hearing, scheduled for Monday at 1 p.m., will be held at Richland High School and is open to the public, according to the announcement. The event can also be live streamed on the House Natural Resources Committee’s YouTube channel. Prior to the hearing, members of the House Natural Resources Committee and representatives of various concerned organizations will tour Ice Harbor Dam and its hydroelectric generators, the announcement said.

Ice Harbor Dam is a significant source of power for the Pacific Northwest, the announcement said. Newhouse organized a tour of Ice Harbor for fellow House representatives earlier this month, which also included an exhibition of hydroelectric power’s contribution to the United States’ energy infrastructure.

In addition to exploring the dam’s generators, the tour will also show the methods the dam uses to allow passage for endangered salmon and other fish. The environmental impact of Lower Snake River dams on fish populations is currently the subject of debate.