Doc Hastings: “Mr. Speaker, our Nation's water resource infrastructure is critical to our economy, transportation system, power…”

“Mr. Speaker, our Nation's water resource infrastructure is critical to our economy, transportation system, power generation, flood control and environmental protection and restoration. This is especially true in my area in the Pacific Northwest. Our region's major river, the Columbia River and its tributaries, is a great resource, one that must be well managed and protected. Hydroelectric dams provide clean, low-cost, renewable power. These facilities also provide a system of locks that allow for the efficient transportation of tons of agricultural products to coastal ports, which reduces congestion on our highways and our rail systems. The coastal ports that receive the river-barged goods and products are the gateways to overseas markets and also need careful attention.”