IN DEPTH: House Committee Probes Biden Administration’s ‘Backroom Deal’ to Breach Lower Snake River Dams

Witnesses claim a secretly negotiated deal on the future of hydroelectric dams could have devastating economic and social consequences in the Pacific Northwest.

The Lower Granite Dam in Idaho is one of four Snake River dams that could be affected by Oregon’s legal motion to force operators to spill more water over the top rather than allowing it to flow through turbines to generate power. Stock photo/Idaho Fish and Game

Biden administration officials chose not to appear for a congressional oversight hearing regarding a leaked draft outlining proposed settlement of litigation over salmon and dams in the Columbia River basin.

Committee members wanted government officials to answer questions about the prospective agreement, which has been negotiated behind closed doors over the past six months.