Fire and Ice // Works in Progress, 2024

Snake River Dams: 2018-2023

The damming of rivers has historically created inexpensive energy in the Pacific Northwest. This low-cost energy has fueled a diversity of industries, ranging from Hanford’s now decommissioned nuclear production complex in Washington States scablands, to several of Googles data centers, located in the Dalles, Oregon. The energy produced by dams was once considered a form of green energy. Over time, the long-term environmental effects of damning have significantly challenged this green energy narrative and is requiring a re-evaluation of how damning is contributing to climate change. 

The included images are part of several interconnected projects focused on the bioregion of the Pacific Northwest known as the Columbia River drainage basin. Within this bioregion, many micro regions exist, functioning independently, while interconnected to the broader region. The included works focus specifically on the Channeled Scablands, which are in the eastern part of Washington State. The works include a sustained focus on the area including learning about the controversies focused around the four Federal Snake River Dams, which impose a significant impact on the ecology of the region, exemplified by the decimated keystone species, salmon.

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