News Release
September 28, 2011

River Advocates cheer decision to abandon proposed dam for Similkameen River

1920s Enloe Dam is remaining obstacle to restoring salmon, needs to come down

Spokane - The Center for Environmental Law & Policy (CELP) and Sierra Club's Washington State Chapter today cheered the decision by the Okanogan PUD to voluntarily surrender its preliminary permit to build the Shankers Bend Dam on the Similkameen River.   The proposed dam would flood Palmer Lake, a popular fishing lake with many private homes, a Superfund site, and seven miles into Canada.  Canadians have vigorously opposed the new dam. 

"The Similkameen River is an international river and treasure," said John Osborn, a Spokane physician, board president of CELP, and coordinator of Sierra Club's Columbia River Future project.  "Not building the Shankers Bend dam is the right decision for taxpayers and the river."

In 2005, Washington State embarked on a new dam-building program for the Columbia River basin.  In 2007 Washington State gave $300,000 to Okanogan PUD to study a new dam on the Similkameen River, the Shankers Bend Dam.  Opposition from local citizens and Canada has been vigorous.

The Similkameen River is tributary to the Okanogan River, tributary to the Columbia River. The 156-mile-long river drains the east slope of the Cascade Mountains. Most of the 3,600 square mile watershed -- 90 percent -- is in Canada. The Similkameen River flows into the U.S. section of the Okanagan River south of Osoyoos Lake. 

"Enloe Dam is the remaining obstacle for salmon," said Osborn.  "Earlier this month we watched dam removal begin on the Elwha River in western Washington.  The Enloe Dam also needs to come down.  Enloe Dam removal has long been proposed to help mitigate for salmon run extinctions and damage from massive dams on the mainstem Columbia River."

For more on Similkameen River and dams, and Washington State's dam-building programs:

1. •Shankers Bend Dam
   

2. •Enloe Dam
   

3. •Columbia River Watershed:  new dams?