Just as the rivers keep flowing, the Upper Mississippi Waterway Association (UMWA) isn’t turning the tide on its connection with other river systems, including one that’s become its beacon of light in a collaborative mission for change.  

“Our collaboration with the Snake and Columbia river stakeholders allows us to amplify one another’s message and ensure a wider public understands the needs and what is at stake for our future,” said Gary Williams, UMWA executive director.  

Williams will join the Washington Association of Wheat Growers (WAWG), in partnership with the Washington State Potato Commission, The McGregor Company and Northwest RiverPartners for a tour with more than a dozen U.S. congressional staffers from Washington, D.C., as well as the region’s district offices, on Tuesday, Aug. 20 in Lewiston, Idaho, for a Snake River Legislative Fly-In.  

The tour includes a boat ride through Lower Granite Dam lock and a tour of the facility, a tour of the Port of Lewiston, and a panel of Marine Highway 84 users sharing their perspective on the importance of the dams for the region as well as the rest of the country. 

The meeting comes about two months after Snake-Columbia river stakeholders joined UMWA for a tour in late June down the Mississippi River, where both groups committed to long-term collaboration with a common goal of strengthening the voice of the river system. 

“Seeing the dams on the lower Snake River, walking through a powerhouse and visiting a state-of-the-art fish passage facility is far different than reading about it in a report,” WAWG Executive Director Michelle Hennings said. “Staffers will be able to ask questions and hear directly from the people who make their living because of the opportunities the dams provide.” 

Williams will join Hennings and other Snake-Columbia stakeholders for a meeting Aug. 21 to brainstorm and discuss future collaboration, which could include an additional Washington, D.C., fly-in and a potential Columbia-Snake river tour. 

“We want to show our support and reinforce the importance of all these national gifts in providing reliable lowered emissions transportation,” Williams said. “It’s also important for us to assure our legislators have the facts and a clear understanding of the reliance our country has for these waterways to be maintained and better utilized for commerce and recreation.”