That all changed when we inserted the concrete monoliths that are the lower four Snake River dams smack dab in the migration corridor of these remarkable fish that connect the mountains of Idaho to the waters of Pacific Ocean. “It is our collective opinion, based on overwhelming scientific evidence, that restoration of a free-flowing lower Snake River is essential to recovering wild Pacific salmon and steelhead in the basin.”. Hatcheries can manufacture fish in concrete tanks but create a false sense of abundance (comprising 80 percent of the fish in some years) and hurt wild fish. However, removal of the dams has … From 1994 to 2004, they ranged from 0.35 to 2.5 percent, exceeding 2 percent in just a single year. And while modifying the ocean is not within our immediate control, we have modified their migratory path. We can make improvements to the power grid to assure the reliability of affordable power to cities and towns across the Northwest. So reads a remarkable letter recently sent to the governors of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana by 10 of the finest and most-respected salmon and steelhead scientists in the world. Reality: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers found that the removal of the four lower Snake River dams would actually decrease total air emissions by seven tons per year from the transportation sector. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. On the lower Snake River in southeastern Washington, it bridges Whitman and Garfield counties. The lower Snake River dams produce roughly 1,100 average megawatts of carbon-free electricity compared to the Klamath River dam’s 78 average megawatts. It … Climate change is adding another challenge as warming water temperatures in the reservoirs behind the dams threaten salmon which depend on cold water and snowmelt. The scientists say that “dam breaching is the essential cornerstone of a comprehensive, effective recovery strategy.” They also point out that “the weight of scientific evidence demonstrates there is no chance of restoring abundant, healthy and harvestable Snake River salmon and steelhead with the lower Snake River dams in place.”. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. So reads a remarkable letter recently sent to the governors of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana by 10 of the finest and most-respected salmon and steelhead scientists in the world. As with most conservation issues, we do not have to choose between recovering salmon and maintaining and improving the socio-economic well-being of those whose livelihoods depend on the dams. The lower Snake River dams have touched on each of these topics since they were constructed over 40 years ago. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The salmon populations in Idaho were so abundant that in the 1950s, before the construction of the four lower Snake River dams, recreational anglers on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River could catch and keep up to two salmon a day over a season that stretched months. U.S. District Court Judge Michael Simon in 2016 ordered dam managers to consider removing or altering the four Lower Snake River dams. The draft report, Lower Snake River Dams Stakeholder Engagement Report, is available for public comment until January 24, 2020. With a little leadership and creativity, we can extend irrigation infrastructure to withdraw water from a free-flowing river. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The scientists conclude their letter by asking for the four governors’ “leadership to develop a comprehensive solution that includes removing the lower Snake River dams so that the extraordinary potential of the Snake River Basin for people and fish can be realized.”. As the scientists’ letter says, “Ocean conditions fluctuate” and salmon have evolved with changing ocean conditions for eons. The lower four Snake River dams must come down. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. The one thing we cannot do is expect Snake River salmon to flourish when they have to pass through 140 miles of predator-filled slackwater reservoirs and over four concrete walls to get to home. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Since this time the Lower Snake River has been used as a means for getting products to markets. The fish need safe access to these habitats so that populations can thrive when conditions are good and survive poor ocean conditions. Large public enterprises including Bonneville and the Corps would change how they do business. Whether the dams … The science is clear. The lower four Snake River dams must come down. “The science is clear that removing the earthen portions of the four lower Snake River dams is the most certain and robust solution to Snake River salmon and steelhead recovery,” Brown wrote. The Legislature provided funding to the governor’s office in the 2019-21 operating budget to conduct a stakeholder process to understand the views of Washingtonians on breaching and removing, or retaining, the lower Snake River dams. Lately, some have tried to point to ocean conditions as the reason for the decline of Northwest salmon. The salmon populations in Idaho were so abundant that in the 1950s, before the construction of the four lower Snake River dams, recreational anglers on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River could catch and keep up to two salmon a day over a season that stretched months. By Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited. The dams’ advocates often argue the salmon’s problems are overharvest, poor habitat and hatcheries. Federal agencies just released a new plan to recover endangered salmon and steelhead in the Columbia and Snake Rivers. They are part of the problematic aging U.S. infrastructure that requires more money for maintenance every year. This study was commissioned to investigate the technical feasibility of replacing the Lower Snake River (LSR) Dams with an energy portfolio that meets the power needs of the region while minimizing costs and increases in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We can find replacement power to make up for the relatively small amount provided to the region by the four lower Snake River hydropower dams. They are economically unsustainable now. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The plan guides dam management on the Columbia River System, which includes the four controversial Snake River dams. The one thing we cannot do is expect Snake River salmon to flourish when they have to pass through 140 miles of predator-filled slackwater reservoirs and over four concrete walls to get to home. If the dams were breached or removed, it would take several coal- or gas-fired power plants to replace them. “It is our collective opinion, based on overwhelming scientific evidence, that restoration of a free-flowing lower Snake River is essential to recovering wild Pacific salmon and steelhead in the basin.”. Opened 46 years ago in 1975, the dam is located 22 miles (35 km) south of Colfax and 35 miles (56 km) north of Pomeroy. Dam removal, however, must be part of a comprehensive recovery plan that includes restoring and protecting habitat, improving hatchery and fishery management, and reducing predation. We can replace barge traffic on the reservoirs behind the dams with rail. Restoring the lower Snake River by removing the four dams that block its flow would precipitate changes in the region’s physical infrastructure, electric grid operations, carbon emissions, grain transport, irrigation, recreation, fish habitat, and riverine and marine ecosystems. Europeans were farming wheat along the Lower Snake as early as the late 1800’s. “Extensive evidence indicates that breaching the four lower Snake River dams would provide more certainty of achieving the kind of long-term … The letter continues, “Every Snake River salmon and steelhead population is listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), with recent returns consistently below the threshold needed to avoid extinction. Climate change is affecting the ocean, and conditions are deteriorating in both fresh and salt water. This is even though we have spent over $17 billion as a nation to help recover Snake and Columbia river steelhead and salmon. We can replace barge traffic on the reservoirs behind the dams with rail. Lower Granite Dam is located approximately 40-miles downstream of Lewiston, Idaho. These cookies do not store any personal information. Today, populations of salmon in the Middle Fork—some of the finest salmon habitat in the world—are at about 1 percent of their historic numbers. The four dams on the lower Snake River are part of a vast and complex hydroelectric power system operated by the federal government in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. Become a Life Member to get yours! Filed Under: Columbia River, snake river dams, Snake River salmon and steelhead. The Snake River Basin in Idaho contains the best remaining spawning and rearing habitat for salmon and steelhead in the lower 48. During 2015 fish perished throughout the West in rivers with and without dams due to elevated water temperatures. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. For millennia, salmon have reared in the mountains of Idaho, been pushed by spring flows to the ocean, grown, and then returned to the very streams where they were born to continue the cycle. They have boosted the economy and local communities in southeast Washington but have also harmed tribal and fishing communities throughout the Pacific Northwest. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The four lower Snake River dams are important to the Northwest’s power needs, provide important support for the transmission system and help keep our system low in carbon emissions. Today, populations of salmon in the Middle Fork—some of the finest salmon habitat in the world—are at about 1 percent of their historic numbers. It’s simply a matter of time before the federal agencies admit it. These dams will be breached in the future due to the economics. Lower Snake River dam removal. The science is clear. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. In the early days skilled steamboat operators carefully navigated both the Columbia and Lower Snake rivers in order to transport wheat and other goods to Portland. Further downstream are Little Goose Dam, Lower Monumental Dam, and Ice Harbor Dam. The Lower Snake River Project features four locks and dams in the state of Washington: Ice Harbor Dam, Lower Monumental Dam, Little Goose Dam, and Lower Granite Dam. Learn more about the Snake River dams’ role in … A Long Legal Fight for the River Over the past 25 years, conservation and fishing groups have gone to court challenging federal agency hydropower systems operation plans that failed to protect threatened and endangered salmon in the Columbia River basin. As with most conservation issues, we do not have to choose between recovering salmon and maintaining and improving the socio-economic well-being of those whose livelihoods depend on the dams. Snake River-born sockeye comprised about 4,069 of the m… The Snake River basin and where the salmon (used to, and again, will) swim. We understand that not everyone sees it the way we do. The lower Snake River dams have enabled large quantities of grain to be shipped by barge from Lewiston, Idaho all the way to the mouth of the Columbia River, 465 miles away, making the ninth-largest city in the nation’s 39th most populous state the West Coast’s farthest-inland port. This is even though we have spent over $17 billion as a nation to help recover Snake and Columbia river steelhead and salmon. On Snake River, Gov. We can create economic opportunity for the towns dependent on the reservoirs. Climate change is affecting the ocean, and conditions are deteriorating in both fresh and salt water. Pacific lamprey, another anadromous species of major significance to tribes and the freshwater and marine ecosystem, have also declined precipitously.”. The letter continues, “Every Snake River salmon and steelhead population is listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), with recent returns consistently below the threshold needed to avoid extinction. The Snake River basin and where the salmon (used to, and again, will) swim. Agriculture, Salmon, and the Snake River Dams . Today the lower Snake River dams (LSRDs) preform various functions; providing hydropower, navigation, irrigation and fish passage. We can create economic opportunity for the towns dependent on the reservoirs. When summer temperatures spiked, the Walla Walla Districts scientist, biologists and engineers responded by developing fish cooling systems at Lower Granite Dam and Little Goose Dam on the Snake River. Wild salmon advocates, tribal representatives and renewable energy advocates, who support removing the four Lower Snake River dams in southeastern Washington, say this decision will hurt salmon and the orcas that depend on them for food. As the scientists’ letter says, “Ocean conditions fluctuate” and salmon have evolved with changing ocean conditions for eons. This is the Oregon Way – coming together on tough issues to achieve lasting change. The lower Snake River dams are all run-of-river dams, which means they don't store water, and thus don't provide any flood control. A total of 510,705 sockeye that originated in numerous watersheds passed Bonneville Dam on the lower Columbia River. And while modifying the ocean is not within our immediate control, we have modified their migratory path. We can make improvements to the power grid to assure the reliability of affordable power to cities and towns across the Northwest. The salmon populations in Idaho were so abundant that in the 1950s, before the construction of the four lower Snake River dams, recreational anglers on the Middle Fork of the Salmon River could catch and keep up to two salmon a day over a season that stretched months. 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