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Salmon Plan Falls Short by Douglas Woycechowsky The Oregonian, September 18, 2009

Based on The Oregonian's coverage of the Obama team's salmon plan release ("Obama committed to salmon," Sept. 16), it appears that the dams will again be let off the hook, or at least put into a never-ending study cycle. Yes, numerous factors drive salmon toward extinction in the Columbia Basin. Many of these, however, are made worse by the huge network of dams.

River temperatures are rising today as a result of a warming planet, but the dams, by creating large stagnant reservoirs, are driving temperatures up much more -- killing young salmon and adults. Lower Snake River dam removal would be the best way to reduce temperatures back into a safe range.

Additionally, colder water from the Snake River will help salmon in the Columbia. The current reservoirs also support large populations of predators that would not otherwise be abundant. The science remains clear: These dams are the primary killers of salmon.