Lower Snake River named most endangered U.S. waterway

Salmon runs on the Snake River have decreased by about 90 percent

March 13, 2000
Web posted at: 12:31 PM EST (1731 GMT)

By Environmental Correspondent Natalie Pawelski

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A national environmental group has named the lower Snake River the most endangered waterway in the United States for the second consecutive year.

Salmon trying to migrate to ancient spawning grounds are fighting a losing battle against a series of hydroelectric dams on the river. The fish are dying and time is running out, say activists with the group American Rivers.

"Once we had millions of fish going up that river. Now we have just maybe a few thousand. We've seen salmon runs come down by about 90 percent," said American Rivers activist Rebecca Wodder.

In a migration of their own, environmentalists have called on the White House to support removing the dams as part of a recovery plan for Snake River salmon.

The Snake River is the largest tributary of the Columbia River, which empties into the Pacific Ocean. According to activists, breaching four dams in eastern Washington is the only way to save the endangered salmon.

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Other measures have been taken to save the fish, including giving young salmon a lift on their journey from their freshwater nurseries to the ocean. But such efforts don't seem to work.

Environmental activists want to remove 4 dams on the river to help the salmon recover

Dam supporters argue that the structures offer valuable resources for humans. Closing down the dams' hydroelectric generators would eliminate about 5 percent of the region's electricity, hiking electric bills $1 to $5 a month, they say.

Pulling the plugs on the reservoirs would also end barge traffic on the Snake, forcing farmers to find different ways to move their crops to market.

But leaving the dams in place carries heavy economic costs as well, damaging the local sport fishing business and commercial fisheries from Alaska to California.

And since Indian tribes have treaty rights to the fish, killing them off could trigger an estimated $10 billion in compensation claims.

The government intended to decide the fate of the dams last year. Now a public comment period ends March 31 and a decision is expected sometime this summer.

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American Rivers
Snake River Adventures
American Rivers - Snake River Campaign
Hydroelectric Information for Columbia and Snake River Projects

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