the film forum library tutorial contact

The Snake River Dams are Killing Salmon. Time for Them to Go by Stan Kuick Tri-City Herald, May 25, 2025

Energy Secretary Chris Wright's recent remarks on the Lower Snake River dams and claim that dam removal would be "going backward" ignores decades of research showing that restoring a free-flowing Lower Snake River is essential to recovering Columbia Basin salmon populations.

Large dams are no longer being built in the U.S. In fact, they are being removed, especially in the Northwest, with a 100% success rate in improving fish runs.

These four dams are not irreplaceable. They produce about 3% of the region's energy, mostly in the spring when demand is low, and studies show their output can be replaced with cleaner, more seasonally appropriate alternatives like solar energy. Barge traffic on the river has dropped 50% since the 1990s, despite large subsidies, and expanded rail infrastructure will offer a competitive alternative. Irrigation needs can be met with a restored river.

If we are to "think boldly," as Secretary Wright suggests, we must move forward, not backward, by breaching the four Lower Snake River dams and replacing their services with available alternatives. A free-flowing Lower Snake River will be a rafting and paddling paradise, a hiking destination with trails along a finally healthy river and a mecca for salmon fishing.