Colton farmers fear dam removal

COLTON, Wash. -- Like many farmers in Eastern Washington, the words “dam removal” bring a look of unease to Mike Sodorff’s face.

Staring at land that has been in his family for more than four generations, Sodorff said, “It is just crazy to think of taking out the dams.”

At times, he said he wishes the issue would just go away.

However, when he heard the Obama administration had ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to conduct studies last month on removing the four dams on the lower Snake River, his worries returned.

Sodorff is one of many farmers in the rural farming community of Colton who are held hostage by the omnipotent threat of dam removal. With a population of approximately 394 people and an economy reliant on Washington State University and agriculture, the well being of many families in Colton rises and falls with fluctuating grain prices.

In the rolling wheat fields of the Palouse, the Snake River is more than just a river: It is a direct route to world markets. Barges shuttle grain downriver to Portland at rates that cost the average farmer half as much as hauling it by rail, according to analysis conducted by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Charlie Keller, communications director for Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash, said the loss of barge traffic caused by removing the dams would have to be made up elsewhere.

Farmers, like Sodorff, who transport their wheat to Lewiston where it is loaded on barges and hauled to Portland, would have to find a different way of getting their crops to market. If the dams were breached, farmers said it would increase shipping costs, reduce land values, bankrupt smaller farms and turn some farming communities into ghost towns.

Despite strong wheat prices in recent years, farmers said dam removal would be detrimental to their business. According to a highly debated 1999 study by the Army Corps of Engineers, shipping costs would increase by as much as 35 cents per bushel. Such increases would cut earnings from a typical 2,500-acre dry land wheat farm by 44 percent.

Finding alternative methods of getting their product to market would prove problematic for farmers. Without the dams, grain would have to be trucked or carried by rail to Pasco or all the way to Portland, placing an extra burden on farmers who said they are not prepared for the change.

“It already costs us too much to get our crops to Lewiston,” Colton farmer Robert Bauer said, “Our roads are not very good anyway.”

The rows of perfectly manicured lawns in Colton are filled with yard signs for local realtors and District 9 State Representative Republican candidate Susan Fagan.

Sodorff said he had never placed a candidate’s sign in his front yard before, but made an exception for Fagan. The Republican candidate has made numerous statements against dam breaching.

When it comes to protecting his business interests, Sodorff said, “You cover your ass and try to elect the right people.

“I don’t think the westsiders understand what it takes to raise a bushel of wheat and get it to market,” he said. “If they need a loaf of bread or a bag of noodles they just go to the store.”

As his dog Dixie curls around his legs, Sodorff added,“I would have loved to have my sons take over, but I’m not sure what will happen.”

Sources
Mike R. Sodorff: (509) 595-2501

Robert G. Bauer: (509) 710-9700

Charlie Keller (Communications Director for Rep. Doc Hastings): (202) 225-3251


Outline:

1. Describe Sodorff on his farm. (Details)
-Use one his quotes early
2.Explain why dam removal is being considered
3.Describe Colton and the local farmers
4. Transportation costs
5. Adverse effects on farmers
6. Alternatives
7. Work back to Colton and Bauer's quotes
8. Mention fisherman by the Lower Granite Dam.
9. Ending: Close with Sodorff's comments about his farm