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Salmon Runs:
by John Crawford
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Breaching the Snake River dams will not guarantee an improved salmon run. A better suggestion might be to remove the sea lions from the Columbia River and severely restrict fishing as our Canadian neighbors are doing for their Fraser River run.
It is difficult for more salmon to get upstream when they are being overfished, and each sea lion consumes 15 to 40 pounds of fish per day. If you breach the dams, you would lose inexpensive and renewable (clean) hydroelectric power, abundant water for irrigation and cost-effective marine transportation.
Compounding that loss would be the exorbitant cost to breach the dams, along with the prolonged disruption to the surrounding areas -- especially downstream. Wouldn't that money be better spent to fix our bridges and roads?
A fair and objective cost-benefit analysis is necessary to determine the greater public good without undue influence from self-interest groups and political donations.
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