The Snake River is an important component of the transportation system serving the region. The river handles a significant amount of grain and other goods produced in the region. The construction of four major dams on the Snake River in the 1950s to 1970s, complete with lock facilities, enables ocean-going cargo to travel inland as far as Lewiston, Idaho. Both the Little Goose Dam and Lower Granite Dam are located within the SEWEDD.

Four port Districts serve the SEWEDD and all have waterside facilities. Outbound shipments consist primarily of agricultural commodities and lumber. The ports of Clarkston, Columbia, and Whitman also have contracted marinas at some of their locations.

Port facilities located in the SEWEDD along the Snake River include the following:

• Port of Garfield at Central Ferry
• Port of Whitman at:
  • Port of Central Ferry
  • Port of Almota
  • Port of Wilman
• Port of Clarkston
• Port of Lewiston - while not within the District, the Port of Lewiston is adjacent to our District and is an important factor to our regional economy with its waterside facility for grain and containerized shipments.

A large volume of commodities is shipped through area locks. The grain moved down the river by barges is trucked in from various areas such as Montana, Oregon, Colorado, the Dakotas, Idaho and the Great Plains states, as well as from the farms within the SEWEDD. Water transportation helps to reduce the effect of highway trucking on our roadways.