YF&R Dams

“All of our presentations have been very different, but they’ve all been kind of there to make people stop and think,” said Durrant.

To think about how to improve their own operations, how to better themselves, and give themselves something to strive for and get involved in. Plus, presentations about Congressman Mike Simpsons plan for salmon recover by breaching four dams on the lower Snake River. Later they loaded into buses to visit one of those dams.

“The dam that we toured today, the Lower Granite is part of one of those ones that Congressman Simpson is looking at having breached for the salmon, so being able to not only network as YF&R members but also to bring a network to be able to push what the real story is and give them that hands on, I’ve been there, I’ve seen what this is doing… just being able to put it into real life for all of our members,” said Durrant.

They saw the fish ladders, the power plants, and they also saw a demonstration of how the massive locks operate, which can drain in about 10 minutes, and refill in another 10. This allows Idaho commodities to travel by barge through the dams back and forth from the Port of Lewiston, an Idaho seaport 460 miles from the Pacific Ocean.  

“A lot to take in, a lot to learn and…

A lot that you don’t see or think of when you just drive by a dam,” said Megan.

“Dam!!”