The Snake River Dams: A 50-Year-Old Feat of Engineering vs. Threatened Salmon Populations

Strategic Insights -

Fifty years ago, the Lower Snake River dams were completed, transforming Lewiston into a seaport 300 miles from the Pacific coast. Since then, the benefits of the dams have been in tension with their impact on salmon and steelhead populations. The Biden administration's efforts to potentially breach the dams were halted by President Trump's administration, which withdrew from an agreement with Northwest tribes, conservation groups, and states.

Key Takeaways:

  • The four Lower Snake River dams were completed 50 years ago, at a cost of $1 billion, and have provided economic benefits, including power generation and irrigation.
  • However, the dams have had a significant impact on salmon and steelhead populations, with many species listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
  • The Nez Perce Tribe and other tribes have developed a plan to replace the services provided by the dams while recovering the species by developing new energy generation and storage capacity, alternative modes of transportation, and modified irrigation techniques.
  • The Trump administration's withdrawal from an agreement with tribes, states, and conservation groups has halted efforts to breach the dams and restore salmon populations.
  • Rep. Dan Newhouse and other lawmakers argue that the dams are necessary for energy production and can coexist with healthy fish populations.
  • The Nez Perce Tribe and other tribes are willing to work with the federal government to address the salmon and steelhead issue, but require adherence to the 1855 treaty that guarantees their right to fish in all their "usual and accustomed" places.

Statistics:

  • The Lower Snake River dams were completed in 1975 at a cost of $1 billion.
  • The dams generate 2,400 megawatts of power, accounting for 70% of Washington state's hydropower production.
  • Salmon populations have declined significantly since the arrival of the dams, with some species listed as critically endangered.
  • An estimated 10% of fish that attempt to migrate up the Snake River succeed, compared to 95% before the dams were built.
  • The Nez Perce Tribe's fishery scientists have documented alarmingly low numbers of fish returning to spawn, averaging only 2,000 to 4,000 Chinook salmon per year.

Sources:

  • "The Spokesman-Review" (Spokane, Wash.)
  • Tribune Content Agency, LLC
  • The Community Journalism and Civic Engagement Fund
  • Creative Commons license, Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution
  • The Nez Perce Treaty of 1855