Wednesday February 11, 2026
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business —
The federal government may have pulled out of an agreement that could have led to removal of the four Lower Snake River dams, but the state continues to evaluate how their removal in the future could impact transportation networks.
The state Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has moved into the next phase of its Lower Snake River Dams Transportation Study, according to a release. The second phase of the study, it will have transportation officials also considering safety issues resulting from potential removal of the dams.
“The study focuses only on potential effects of a dam removal, if that were to happen, not issuing recommendations about removal,” WSDOT said in a statement.