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Hydropower and Water Rights

July 7, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) announced that the Town of Naches will be receiving $4,357,000 through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Waste and Water Disposal Loan and Grant Program to revitalize its Wastewater Treatment Plant. Funding for this program was provided under the Trump Administration through H.R. 133, the FY2021 Omnibus and COVID Relief and Response Act.


June 29, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and the entire bicameral Pacific Northwest congressional delegation sent a letter to President Biden requesting he update the Pacific Northwest congressional delegation on the status of negotiations for a modernized Columbia River Treaty.


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President Biden is stretching the limits of his executive authority – and this time, the livelihoods of farmers and rural communities across the nation are at stake.

As a lifelong farmer, representative of this area, and Chairman of the Congressional Western Caucus, I understand firsthand the vested interest we all have in how the federal government's regulations impact water, agriculture, and natural resources across the country – especially when these regulations burden our rural communities.

Issues: Hydropower and Water Rights

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June 21, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Reps. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released the following statement in response to recent data showing an increased rate of return for Spring Chinook salmon on the Snake River. Data shows that the Snake River Spring Chinook returns increased by 27%, with more than 29,634 salmon passing the Lower Granite Dam. These returns increased for the second year in a row, continuing the recovery from the recent low point in the population cycle.


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May 27, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Dan Newhouse (WA-04) toured Kennewick Irrigation District's (KID) facilities and spoke with the KID Board of Directors regarding water supplies in the Lower Yakima River Basin and the pending title transfer from the Bureau of Reclamation. He also toured the future reservoir site and canal lining project.


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May 26, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) released the following statement after the House Committee on Natural Resources unanimously approved H.R. 2641, the Pacific Northwest Pumped Storage Hydropower Development Act of 2021:


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May 19, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – On Thursday, May 13, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) participated as a keynote speaker for the Andrus Center for Public Policy's 2021 Environmental Conference at Boise State University. Titled "Energy, Salmon, Agriculture and Community: REVISITED," the conference reprised the Andrus Center's 2019 conference focusing on the diverse and interconnected factors related to salmon survival, energy production, and economic development throughout the Pacific Northwest.


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There's been a lot of talk about our dams over the last few weeks, and I want to make it abundantly clear: Any "solution" for our salmon population that includes removing the dams on the Lower Snake River is a nonstarter.

Rep. Mike Simpson's proposed Columbia Basin Initiative seeks to breach the Lower Snake River dams in an attempt at boosting the native salmon population – while ignoring the very real issues, and solutions, that are impacting our fish populations.

Issues: Hydropower and Water Rights

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May 13, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) participated as a keynote speaker for the Andrus Center for Public Policy's 2021 Environmental Conference at Boise State University. Titled "Energy, Salmon, Agriculture and Community: REVISITED," the conference reprised the Andrus Center's 2019 conference focusing on the diverse and interconnected factors related to salmon survival, energy production, and economic development throughout the Pacific Northwest.


May 5, 2021

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Rep. Dan Newhouse (R-WA) and Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) introduced H.R. 2979 to amend the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) of 2014 to make public water projects eligible for low-interest, longer-term federal loans from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).