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Hermiston History: Environmental Groups Protest Fish Facility by Jade McDowell Hermiston Herald, September 6, 2019

25 YEARS AGO

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officially unveiled its new juvenile fish facility Thursday at McNary Dam in front of an audience of about 150, including about a dozen protesters from several environmental groups.

"Here's your door prize -- a Corps of Engineers salmon," said Charlie Ray, of Idaho Rivers United, as he handed out rubber fish skeletons.

The protesters focused on an incident in late July where warm water in the facility killed up to 90,000 fall chinook. One came dressed as the Grim Reaper with "Corps of Engineers" painted on the front of the outfit.

"We,re here to let the public and the media know the rest of the story about this proven salmon killer here," Ray said.

The facility is designed to take salmon from the McNary Pool above the dam through a series of pipes. The pipes empty into either the John Day Pool below the dam or into a barge. The barges will transport the fish to below Bonneville Dam -- the last on the Columbia River.