Defending our Dams Act

The Defending our Dams Act would, if enacted, explicitly bar federal funding related to breaching, altering, or removing the four Lower Snake River dams in Washington (Ice Harbor, Lower Monumental, Little Goose, and Lower Granite). It also prohibits federal funding for studies or technical assistance connected to dam removal or major changes to the dams’ functions, including power, flood control, or navigation substitutions. In addition, the bill tightens the oversight of any spillage operations (releasing water over spillways to aid fish passage) at these dams, requiring approval from the Secretary of the Army (via the Chief of Engineers) and the Administrator of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) and mandating that such decisions consider all Columbia River System operations. The overall aim is to defend the existing dams and the infrastructure they provide, limiting government actions that would breach, remove, or materially alter them.