Dam!

With Dam! winding down for 2024, we wanted to spend some time revisiting an incredible year of storytelling. You'll hear snippets from a handful of episodes, starting with our most-listened to of the year, that capture some of the most impactful moments shared on the podcast. For both those who missed these episodes or haven't heard them in sometime, we think you'll enjoy what we've put together.

Just hearing mention of the four lower Snake River dams can stir up strong feelings for people who fall on either side of the debate over their future. Yet, it's rare to find someone who's actually stood atop–or within–these dams and spoken with the people who work at them at length. Ryan Hall, communications director at the Montana Electric Cooperatives Association and editor for Rural Montana, made it his mission to do exactly that and report what he found to communities across Montana. The four-part series, "The Whole Dam Story," is the product of that work, and the 40th episode of the podcast tells the story behind "The Whole Dam Story."

From deep into the interior Northwest to the mouth of the Columbia, river transportation is a vital yet overlooked service to the nation and the world. Rob Rich, vice president of marine services at Shaver Transportation, joins Dam! to shed a light on this "silent service," speak to the true value it provides, share the incredible opportunities it presents, and how all of this is interwoven with our hydroelectric dams.

"Misinformation does not serve our region or policymakers and doesn’t recover salmon." That's the message Northwest RiverPartners executive director, Clark Mather, delivered in a recent statement. That statement was in response to a campaign aimed at undermining bipartisan legislation simply meant to maintain the federal government’s commitment for the Bonneville Power Administration to spend no more than $300 million in additional funds to implement the 12/14 agreement. On this special episode of Dam!, Clark is joined by Katie Pfennigs from Flathead Electric Cooperative and Chris Sidmore from the Flathead Food Bank to discuss the legislation, what it truly stands for, and why it is critically important to fight rising energy costs.

If you've ever wondered what the deal is behind the "Our Power is Water" campaign we've been running here at Northwest RiverPartners for the past four years, this is the podcast for you! We caught up with North's CEO, Rebecca Armstrong, to discuss digital advertising for a good cause, the nuance of telling hydropower stories in the Northwest, and the exciting, yet terrifying future introduced by artificial intelligence. If that wasn't enough, you'll get the scoop on North's partnership with the Oregon Humane Society, a case for bringing a miniature dachshund into your life, and the answer to whether or not the Pacific Northwest is as wet as the United Kingdom.

Fish passage is a serious matter for hydropower–especially for our Federal hydro system in the Columbia River basin. Like the dams themselves, maintaining and updating fish passage infrastructure is essential to achieving the best possible results for our aquatic friends. One of the leaders in this field is Natel, who designs fish-safe turbines to replace aging turbines and eliminate the need for bypass systems for juvenile salmon. Joining us on this episode to detail this win-win in design is Natel's co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer, Gia Schneider.