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Dams Aren't Dreadful by Bob Voller The Columbian, April 21, 2008

It is about time that the pseudo-environmentalists and sea lion lovers checked facts before spouting off on the dreadful effects of the dams on the Columbia and Snake rivers fish runs. I will concede that dams do contribute to the difficulty of fish passage. We electricity users have paid millions to mitigate these difficulties.

However, let's check the facts to determine if the dams are the only impact.

Fact: The last dam constructed on the Columbia River was in Canada (Revelstoke) in 1984. The John Day Dam was finished in 1971. On the Snake River, Lower Monumental Dam was constructed in 1975.

Fact: The largest salmon passage over Bonneville Dam in recorded history occurred in 2003 with 921,300 chinook and 125,800 coho counted. More than 840,000 chinook passed Bonneville Dam in 2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005. (Source is Columbia River DART Adult Passage Report.)

Now, tell me again how the dams have decimated the fish runs.