Navigation as an alternative use.

Navigational use of the river makes a variety of contributions to the economy of the Pacific NW. Recent navigation improvements have increased transportation. The benefits from commercial navigation arise from on-river downstream movements, off-river movements, upriver movements, capacity availability and developmental influences. On-river barge transportation directly benefits shippers (producers) and ultimately consumers. Low barge rates reduce the delivered price of commodities shipped to upriver areas. Likewise, intermodal competition depresses rail rates. A high-capacity barge system lessens the possibility of a peak period shortage of transportation. Output, employment and income multipliers illustrate how navigation stimulates the economy. There are direct and indirect costs of commercial navigation. Direct costs include construction, maintenance and operation of navigational aids. Indirect costs include foregone energy generation, water loss for irrigation, road damage and damage to the river ecology. Often the direct beneficiaries do not bear the incidence of the associated costs. However, it can be argued that society is served from such subsidies. Tradeoffs to allocate the river's resources have to be made and commercial navigation must be considered along with other uses. -from Selected Water Resources Abstracts