"One species of Snake River salmon has already been declared extinct. In
1986, the National Marine Fisheries Service determined that Snake River coho
had been lost forever. The next milestone in the demise of Snake River
salmon came in 1991, when Snake River sockeye, which faces the longest
journey of all Snake River salmon, was declared endangered. That year, only
eight adult Snake River sockeye returned to Idaho’s Redfish Lake. Between
1992-1997, three more species of Snake River salmon were added to the ESA
list as threatened - spring/summer chinook, fall chinook, and steelhead. Six
species of Columbia River salmon are also listed under the Endangered
Species Act - the Upper Columbia River spring chinook and Upper Columbia
River steelhead as endangered and Middle Columbia River steelhead, Lower
Columbia River chinook, Columbia River chum, and Lower Columbia River
steelhead as threatened."
The American Rivers site has a summary of economic impacts at
http://www.amrivers.org/snakeeconomics.html. You can argue about the
economic impact of dam removal. Some groups would have you argue the fish
into extinction, and sadly that may have already happened. This Snake River
initiative isn't a feel-good issue. It isn't a "Ban All Dams Because Dams
Kill Fish" position. Unlike many other native fishes, these salmon have
well-known habitat requirements and well-documented population declines that
correlate with human settlement and development. This is a test of the
willingness of the public to take responsibility and protect endangered
species.
-- Jay DeLong Olympia, WA
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